This Lasagna Soup Recipe is a delicious and warming comfort food meal that gives you all of the flavor of classic lasagna without all the work! No need to take the time to layer all the ingredients and put it in the oven to bake when you can turn the iconic dish into a hearty and flavorful soup.
As much as I love to order lasagna at my favorite Italian restaurant, I rarely make it at home. With just the two of us, it simply takes too much time and preparation.
Instead I will save my favorite family style lasagna recipe for when we are having guests over for dinner or for when the kids come over for Sunday supper.
However there are times that I crave the taste of lasagna and there are no plans to go out to dinner or to have guests over. In that case I will either make Lasagna Roll Ups or this delicious Lasagna Soup Recipe.
I use all the same ingredients, but instead of having to assemble layers, the mixture is combined into a thick and hearty soup. Then the soup is topped with a 3 cheese mixture to give you that iconic creamy flavor.
What Type of Meat To Use In Lasagna Soup
As with any good lasagna recipe, a combination of ground meat will provide you with the most flavor. It is best to use a mixture of ground beef and ground sausage.
However, because this is a small batch lasagna soup recipe, you will only need a total of a 1/2 pound of ground meat. Although you can purchase 1/4 pound each of ground beef and ground sausage, many of us will prefer to use a single variety.
In that case, I recommend purchasing ground sausage as it will give you the most flavor. Take it one step further and purchase a spicy ground sausage if you like a little heat in your food.
And for those who can’t eat beef or sausage, or if you are just looking for a healthier option, you can use ground turkey or chicken sausage instead.
Lasagna Noodles
When it comes to purchasing the pasta for this Lasagna Soup recipe, the easiest and most obvious choice is dried lasagna noodles. However, the question is should you purchase standard or oven ready noodles?
Oven-ready lasagna noodles typically boil faster than standard dry lasagna noodles when used in soup. That is because oven-ready noodles are partially cooked during the manufacturing process, allowing them to absorb liquid more quickly.
Since they require less time to soften, they are a convenient option for recipes like lasagna soup, where a shorter cook time is desirable. However, if time isn’t an issue and you have standard lasagna noodles in your pantry you can certainly use them. Just increase the cook time so that the noodles can become tender.
And if you really want to make and use fresh pasta, you can certainly do so. Just remember that fresh pasta will only take a few minutes to boil.
Don’t have lasagna noodles on hand, but you have all of the other ingredients? Feel free to use whatever variety of pasta that you prefer.
Three Cheese Topping
When making traditional lasagna there is always a layer of cheese or cheese sauce. However when you make lasagna soup, the cheese is added as a topping rather than being included in the soup itself.
This is because many dairy products will curdle when placed in hot, boiling liquid. Therefore, in order to get that familiar cheesy taste that we all love in lasagna, we will top the soup with cheese when serving.
But not just one variety of cheese. To get the most flavor we will use 3 different types of cheese. Mozzarella, Parmesan and Ricotta cheese are combined together and then scooped on top of each individual bowl.
However, if you prefer, you can substitute cottage cheese for the ricotta. Just be sure that it is small curd cottage cheese so the cheese mixture remains fairly smooth.
How To Make Lasagna Soup
1. Brown the meat. In a large pot over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef and sausage until brown. Drain the grease by pouring the meat in a colander and let it sit. Then return the empty pot to the stove.
2. Cook the onion and garlic. In the same pot heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once hot add the diced onion and sauté for 5 minutes, or until tender. Add in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds – 1 minute or until the garlic is fragrant.
3. Add sauce and spices. Stir in the tomato paste, marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and the broth. Be sure to scrape any brown bits off of the bottom of the pot. Then return the drained meat to the pot.
4. Add lasagna noodles. Bring the mixture to a boil. As you wait for it to boil break each lasagna noodle into 4-5 sections. Then add the lasagna noodles to the soup and simmer until the noodles are al’ dente. The amount of time that they need to simmer will depend on what variety of noodles that you purchased.
5. Combine cheeses. As the noodles cook, in a small bowl stir the 3 cheese together until evenly combined. Set aside.
6. Serve warm. When the noodles are tender, ladle the soup into bowls. Then add a scoop of the cheese mixture on top.
There you have it, and easy, comfort food soup recipe that will keep you feeling full for hours!
Lasagna Soup Recipe For Two
*A printable recipe card is located at the bottom of this article which contains the specific measurements, temperatures and cook times. However, continue reading below to learn about more helpful tips about this specific recipe.
INGREDIENTS
- 1⁄4 pound lean ground beef
- 1⁄4 pound ground Italian sausage
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1⁄2yellow onion, chopped
- 1⁄2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 12 ounces marinara sauce
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoon dry Italian seasoning
- 1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 1⁄2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 4 lasagna noodles, broken into pieces
- 5 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1⁄2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1⁄4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
Place a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and sausage and cook until the meat is brown and no longer pink. Drain and set aside.
Add the oil to the same pot and add the diced onion. Sauté for until they begin to soften (approximately 5 minutes). Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds – 1 minute or until fragrant.
Stir in tomato paste, marinara sauce, red pepper flakes, dry Italian seasoning, and chicken broth and mix well. Return the drained meat to pot and bring the mixture to a boil.
Break each lasagna noodle into 4-5 pieces and add them to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the noodles are tender.
In a small bowl, stir together Mozzarella, Parmesan and Ricotta cheeses until well combined. Set aside.
When the noodles are al’ dente ladle the soup into bowls and add a scoop of the cheese mixture on top. Serve immediately.
Store leftovers in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When you go to reheat the lasagna soup you will need to add a little broth or water as the pasta will have absorbed some of the liquid.
If you would like to make a traditional lasagna recipe, be sure to try my Lasagna Recipe For Two (Loaf Pan Lasagna)!
Enjoy! Mary
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Printable Recipe Below
Lasagna Soup For Two
Lasagna Soup made with ground beef, sausage in a delicious tomato based sauce and topped with three types of cheese! An easy comfort food recipe for two!
Ingredients
- 1⁄4 pound lean ground beef
- 1⁄4 pound ground Italian sausage
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1⁄2 yellow onion, chopped
- 1⁄2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 12 ounces marinara sauce
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoon dry Italian seasoning
- 1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 1⁄2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 4 no-boil lasagna noodles, broken into pieces
- 5 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1⁄2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1⁄4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Place a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and sausage and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the meat is brown and no longer pink. Drain and set aside.
- Add the oil to the pot and add the diced onion. Sauté for until they begin to soften (approximately 5 minutes). Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds - 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Stir in tomato paste, marinara sauce, red pepper flakes, dry Italian seasoning, and chicken broth and mix well.
- Return the drained meat to pot and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Break each lasagna noodles into 4 pieces and add them to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender, approximately 12-15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, stir together Mozzarella, Parmesan and ricotta cheeses until well combined. Set aside.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and add a scoop of the cheese mixture on top.
Notes
- Substitute Ricotta cheese with cottage cheese if desired
- Replace Italian seasoning with 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1⁄2 teaspoon dried basil and 1⁄4 teaspoon oregano.
- If using standard lasagna noodles you will need to boil them longer until they become al' dente.
Storing Leftovers: Store leftovers covered, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Freezing Instructions: You can freeze the soup, although it would be best to do so without the noodles. Place the soup in a freezer safe container and freeze for 2-3 months. When you want to serve the soup, place the soup in a pot and bring to a boil. Add the noodles and boil until the pasta is tender. Serve with a scoop of the cheese mixture.
Make Ahead Instructions: Make the soup but do not add the noodles. Make the cheese mixture and store in a covered container in the refrigerator. Store the soup in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, bringing the soup to a boil and add the noodles. Serve with a scoop of the cheese mixture.
Recipe provided by iCookfortwo.com
Nutrition Information
Yield 3Amount Per Serving Calories 635Total Fat 31gSaturated Fat 12gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 17gCholesterol 89mgSodium 1373mgCarbohydrates 48gFiber 5gSugar 11gProtein 42g
Nutritional Information is to be used as a general guideline only . Nutritional calculations will vary from the types and brands of the products used.