Better Homes And Gardens Lasagna Soup

lasagna soup in blue and green bowls

If you get a sudden craving for a really good lasagna dinner, usually you have to dine out to satisfy that craving. Because Lasagna made at home takes time, effort and can be expensive. Which usually relegates this dish to an All-Day-Sunday-Supper. But today I give you quick, easy, economical…Lasagna Soup. And trust me, not only is this easy, it's a good one. Traditional, delicious lasagna flavor in just over 30 minutes.

lasagna soup in blue bowl

Because Lasagna Soup is easy yet satisfying, it's perfect for weeknight dinners, but because it offers impressive, authentic lasagna flavor, it's also perfect for company. A great game-day or snowy-night meal; you're going to love it.

The first time I made it was only a short while after I'd tested out Classic Cheeseburger Soup on my family (which they loved), so my 13-year old said "Mom, are you going to be making 'everything' into soup now?". Hmmm….

lasagna soup in green and blue bowls

Lasagna Soup is a great recipe to have on hand because you can change it up to your liking, and can even make it vegetarian with great success. First of all, use sausage or ground beef (my family loved it equally both ways). The method for cooking the soup ensures tender, flavorful meat and hearty broth. The ricotta cheese adds a nice creaminess when stirred in and only increases the authenticity of the soup, but if you leave it out it's still very tasty. Increase the noodles if you like, but we like our soup more brothy, so about a half package seemed perfect. If you use whole wheat lasagna noodles, no one will know the difference. To take make vegetarian lasagna soup, replace the meat with fresh, sliced mushrooms and change out the chicken broth with vegetable broth.

lasagna soup in blue and green bowls

Don't forget to top the soup with a generous helping of Parmesan cheese, basil and crushed red pepper flakes. The Parmesan adds a nice sharpness and fresh basil brightens everything, plus it looks pretty. Perfect for dunking your favorite garlic bread, or toast up some garlic croutons to toss in at the last second. I hope you'll try it soon, and don't plan to have leftovers. And if you like this recipe, check out my Chicken Enchiladas in a Skillet. This recipe is start to finish in only 15 minutes!

Lasagna Soup

This soup will remind you of your favorite lasagna casserole in much less the time and very little effort! If you want a vegetarian option, see cook's note at bottom of instructions. This soup is best eaten immediately, but can be reheated up to one day after making.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 6

1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
1/2 medium onion chopped
1/2 medium green sweet pepper chopped (about 1/2 cup)
3 garlic cloves minced
3/4 to 1 pound uncooked bulk turkey Italian sausage or lean ground beef
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning crushed
1 14.5- oz. can diced tomatoes undrained
2 8- oz. cans tomato sauce
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
6-8 lasagna noodles whole wheat is delicious, broken into bite-size pieces
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
Shredded Parmesan Cheese to taste
3 tablespoons fresh basil snipped
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Heat oil to medium in a large pot. Add onion, green pepper, and garlic. Cook until onions and pepper soften, stirring occasionally. Add sausage or ground beef and cook until meat is just browned on outside, breaking meat up into bite-size bits as it cooks.
Add crushed Italian seasoning (crushing it releases more flavor), and stir until fragrant. Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and chicken broth. Bring to simmer, cover and cook 20 minutes.
In a second pot, cook broken up lasagna noodles according to package directions; drain. Stir into soup.
To serve, spoon a dollop of ricotta cheese into six bowls and pour in soup. Top with shredded Parmesan cheese, basil leaves and crushed red pepper flakes, to taste.
Cook's note: This soup is easily converted to a vegetarian option; replace the meat with sliced fresh mushrooms, change out chicken broth with vegetable broth.

Recipe adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Soups and Stews magazine.