This lasagna soup recipe features ground beef, Italian sausage, spinach, and a herbed ricotta cheese topping and tastes just like lasagna!
Taking comfort food favorites and finding a way to “soup-ify” them is one of my favorite things. It’s like comfort food taken to the max. Recipes like my taco soup, potato soup, (which tastes just like a loaded potato), and cheeseburger soup are all fun examples. This lasagna soup is the best and tastes just like my favorite classic lasagna, just in a more slurpable form (and with less effort). It’s very similar to my slow-cooker lasagna soup, only this one is made heartier with the additions of ground beef and Italian sausage.
In This Post
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This lasagna soup recipe is so full of flavor and tastes just like your favorite lasagna but without all of the time and work!
- It’s warm and hearty and makes great leftovers
- It’s super easy to make
What’s in Lasagna Soup
- Ground beef—I like to use 85% lean (you could also use ground turkey if you wanted, but I’d suggest using dark meat, or at least a mix that’s got a higher percentage of dark meat to white meat)
- Mild Italian sausage—use spicy (or a mix) if you prefer
- Onion—I use a yellow onion here
- Garlic—for that classic Italian flavor
- Canned crushed tomatoes—I love using San Marzano-style tomatoes because they’re vibrant and sweet with a tender, meaty texture that’s been crushed smooth but thick, perfect for pasta sauces, and of course, soup
- Tomato paste—to add a bit of bold body to the soup
- Chicken broth—is the base for our lasagna soup (you could use storebought but I love using homemade if I have some on hand)
- Bay leaves—for a delicate herbaceous flavor
- Dried basil and oregano—help those classic lasagna flavors shine through
- Red pepper flakes—for just a hint of heat
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper—always, for flavor
- Lasagna noodles—(don’t use no-boil, just use regular lasagna noodles) These noodles cook perfectly every time, with the ridged edges capturing every bit of the soup’s broth.
- Spinach—for color, texture, and of course, nutrition
For the ricotta cheese topping
- Ricotta cheese—a classic Lasagna filling ingredient, ricotta truly makes this soup taste like lasagna
- Mozzarella cheese—for a nice cheesy pull (I just use low-moisture part-skim shredded)
- Fresh parsley—for color, freshness, and flavor
- Fresh basil—for color, freshness, and flavor
- Kosher salt—always, for flavor
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Lasagna Soup
- Brown the meat. Brown the ground beef and sausage and then sauté the onion and garlic until the onions have softened.
- Make the soup. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, bay leaves, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, then add the lasagna noodles. Reduce to medium-low and cook for another 10 minutes or until the noodles are tender. Add more chicken broth or water if needed. Discard the bay leaf, add the spinach, and cook until wilted.
- Make the cheesy ricotta topping. While the soup is cooking mix the ricotta cheese, mozzarella, parsley, basil, and kosher salt. Add the spinach until wilted. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Top and serve. Ladle the soup into bowls, top with a dollop or two of the ricotta cheese topping, and sprinkle with more parsley and basil.
FAQ and Recipe Tips
- Can I make this in the slow cooker? Yes! After you brown the meat, follow the steps in this recipe.
- You may want to add more chicken broth (or water) when reheating leftovers since the lasagna noodles will absorb some of the broth.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Use ground turkey instead of beef (I recommend dark meat), and/or try turkey or chicken Italian sausage instead of pork Italian sausage, if you prefer (or omit the meat entirely, and use vegetable broth to make this vegetarian)
- White beans would be a tasty addition if you’re trying to make this recipe vegetarian
- You could use cottage cheese instead of the ricotta if you wanted
- Add kale instead of spinach
- Change up your noodles (try cheese tortellini or orecchiette)
- Zucchini or peas would be tasty additions
Storage Tips
This lasagna soup will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. Just note that the noodles will absorb some of the broth, so when reheating the leftovers, you may need to add some more chicken broth or some water to them first. This lasagna soup will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
What to Serve With Lasagna Soup
- Garlic Bread
- Killer Garlic Knots
- Simple Italian Salad
- Arugula Salad with Shaved Parmesan
- Caesar Salad with Garlic Croutons
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Lasagna Soup Recipe
Ingredients
For the soup
- ½ pound ground beef
- ½ pound ground mild Italian sausage
- 1 medium yellow onion , diced
- 4 cloves garlic , minced or pressed
- 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 6 ounces lasagna noodles , broken into 2-inch pieces
- 4 cups fresh spinach
For the ricotta cheese topping
- 8 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese , shredded
- ¼ cup parsley , chopped
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves , chopped
- generous pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- For the lasagna soup:
- In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef and sausage until browned, 6-7 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion softens, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, bay leaves, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, then add the lasagna noodles. Reduce to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes more, or until the noodles are tender. Add more chicken broth or water if needed. Discard the bay leaf, add the spinach, and cook until wilted.
- While the soup is cooking, in a medium bowl mix the ricotta cheese, mozzarella, parsley, basil, and kosher salt. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to serve.
- To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, top with a dollop or two of the ricotta cheese topping, and sprinkle with more parsley and basil.
Nutrition
More Italian Soup Recipes to Try
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Pasta e Fagioli
- Cioppino Seafood Stew
- Sausage and Gnocchi Soup
- My Grandma’s BEST Minestrone Soup
- Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup with Sausage and Kale
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