Easy Lasagna Soup
Lasagna soup keeps the tomato, beef, herbs and cheese of baked lasagna but turns them into a one-pot meal that is easier to serve on a busy night. Broken noodles cook directly in the broth, while dollops of ricotta or a sprinkle of mozzarella bring back the creamy element of the original dish.
Add the pasta only when you are ready to finish the soup because it continues absorbing liquid as it sits. If you expect leftovers, cooking the noodles separately can keep the broth from becoming too thick.
Lasagna Soup Keeps the Comfort, Skips the Layering
- Broken lasagna noodles give you the familiar pasta shape without the work of layering a casserole.
- Ground beef, tomato paste and crushed tomatoes create a rich base that tastes more developed than a plain tomato soup.
- Ricotta added by the spoonful recreates the creamy pockets you get in traditional lasagna.
- Mozzarella, Parmesan and spinach finish the bowl without needing a separate baking step.
Easy Lasagna Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups beef or chicken broth
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 8 lasagna noodles broken into pieces
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 3/4 cup ricotta
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot and brown ground beef with onion.
- Add garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes, broth, Italian seasoning and salt.
- Bring to a simmer, add broken lasagna noodles and cook until tender, about 12 minutes.
- Stir in spinach until wilted.
- Serve with spoonfuls of ricotta and a sprinkle of mozzarella and Parmesan.
Notes
Brown the Beef Before Adding Broth
Ground beef and onion should get real color before the tomatoes and broth go into the pot. That browning adds depth that a simple simmer cannot create later.
Broken Noodles Make the Soup Easier to Eat
Break the lasagna sheets into bite-size pieces before adding them. Stir during simmering so the pieces do not stick together as the starch softens.
Keep the Cheese Out of the Pot
Ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan are best added to individual bowls. The ricotta stays creamy and gives you pockets of richness instead of dissolving into the whole pot.
Leftovers Thicken Overnight
The noodles keep absorbing broth in the refrigerator. Add a splash of broth or water while reheating to bring the soup back to the consistency you want.
