Hearty Lasagna Soup With Sausage

Here is my favorite lasagna soup recipe, with Italian sausage, broken lasagna noodles, tomatoes, and plenty of melted mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top.

This lasagna soup is a weeknight lifesaver at our house. It has all the flavors of traditional lasagna but comes together in one pot in about half the time. No layering, no waiting around for the oven, just a warm, comforting bowl of soup that tastes like the real thing.

What Kind of Italian Sausage Should I Use?

You can use either sweet or hot Italian sausage for this soup, depending on how much heat you want. Sweet Italian sausage gives you a milder, more traditional lasagna flavor, while hot sausage adds a nice kick that some people really love. If you can’t find Italian sausage at your store, regular ground pork seasoned with some fennel seeds and red pepper flakes will work in a pinch. Just make sure to break up the sausage into small, bite-sized pieces as it cooks so every spoonful of soup has some meaty goodness in it.

Options for Substitutions

This soup is pretty forgiving when it comes to swapping ingredients:

• Italian sausage: Ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken all work well here. If using plain ground meat, add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning and a pinch of fennel seeds to mimic that sausage flavor.
• Chicken stock: Beef stock or vegetable stock both work fine. The flavor will be slightly different, but still tasty.
• Lasagna noodles: Break up regular lasagna noodles into bite-sized pieces, or use other pasta shapes like penne, rigatoni, or even egg noodles. Just adjust the cooking time based on the package directions for whatever pasta you choose.
• Fresh basil: If you don’t have fresh basil, use 1 tablespoon of dried basil instead. Add it earlier in the cooking process with the other dried herbs.
• Mozzarella: Ricotta cheese makes a nice substitute and gives it that authentic lasagna feel. You can also use a blend of Italian cheeses or just stick with extra parmesan.
• Diced tomatoes: Crushed tomatoes or even marinara sauce work in a pinch. If using marinara, you might want to reduce the tomato paste to 3-4 ounces.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making lasagna soup is adding the noodles too early, which causes them to absorb too much liquid and turn mushy – wait until your broth is at a rolling boil before breaking the lasagna sheets into bite-sized pieces and dropping them in.

Another common error is not draining the grease from the Italian sausage properly, as excess fat will create an oily layer on top of your soup that affects both taste and texture.

To keep your soup from becoming too thick, have extra chicken stock on hand since the noodles will continue absorbing liquid as the soup sits, and you can always thin it out before serving.

Finally, stir in the cheeses at the very end with the heat off to prevent them from becoming stringy or clumpy, which happens when cheese is exposed to high heat for too long.

What to Serve With Lasagna Soup?

A big hunk of garlic bread is pretty much mandatory with lasagna soup – you’ll want something to soak up all that rich, tomatoey broth. I like to make a simple side salad with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, and Italian dressing to balance out the heartiness of the soup. If you’re feeding a crowd, breadsticks or focaccia work great too, and they’re perfect for dunking. Since this soup is already loaded with sausage and cheese, keeping the sides simple is the way to go – maybe some roasted vegetables like zucchini or bell peppers if you want to add more veggies to the meal.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep your lasagna soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I like to store the noodles separately if I can, since they tend to soak up the broth over time and can get a bit mushy. If you’re planning to eat it within a day or two though, it’s totally fine to keep everything together.

Freeze: This soup freezes really well for up to 3 months. I’d recommend freezing it without the noodles and cheese toppings, then adding fresh cooked lasagna noodles and cheese when you reheat it. That way everything tastes fresh and the noodles don’t get weird and mushy.

Reheat: Warm it up on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it’s heated through. You can also microwave individual portions for 2-3 minutes, stirring halfway. Add a splash of chicken stock if it seems too thick after storing.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2400-2600
• Protein: 110-125 g
• Fat: 120-135 g
• Carbohydrates: 200-220 g

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup onion (finely diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 3 tsp garlic
• 1 lb italian sausage (I prefer Johnsonville mild links with casings removed)
• 32 oz chicken stock (I always use Swanson for consistent salt levels)
• 30 oz diced tomatoes
• 6 oz tomato paste
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp italian seasoning
• 4 tbsp basil (freshly chiffonade into thin strips for best aroma)
• 8 lasagna noodles (broken into rough 1-inch pieces before boiling)
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup parmesan
• 1.5 cups mozzarella (I use Galbani whole milk for a better cheese pull)
• salt
• pepper

Step 1: Build the Aromatic Base

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup onion
• 3 tsp garlic

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

Once shimmering, add the diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant.

Add the garlic and cook for another minute until it becomes aromatic.

This foundation of caramelized aromatics will build the depth of flavor for your entire soup.

Step 2: Brown the Sausage

• 1 lb italian sausage

Increase heat to medium-high and add the Italian sausage to the pot with the cooked aromatics.

Break it apart as it cooks, creating small crumbles throughout.

Cook for 5-7 minutes until the meat is fully browned and no longer pink.

Carefully pour off excess grease from the pot, leaving just enough for flavor—I find that leaving about a teaspoon of fat adds richness without being greasy.

Step 3: Build the Broth Base

• 32 oz chicken stock
• 30 oz diced tomatoes
• 6 oz tomato paste
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Pour the chicken stock into the pot with the browned sausage and aromatics, scraping the bottom to release any flavorful browned bits.

Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, tomato paste, oregano, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.

Stir well to combine and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.

The tomato paste needs to dissolve fully into the broth to develop a rich, cohesive sauce.

Step 4: Cook the Noodles

• 8 lasagna noodles

Once the broth reaches a boil, add the broken lasagna noodle pieces directly to the pot and stir immediately to prevent sticking.

Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender and have absorbed some of the broth.

The soup should have a hearty consistency at this point—neither too brothy nor too thick.

Step 5: Finish with Cheese and Seasonings

• 1/2 cup parmesan
• 1.5 cups mozzarella
• salt
• pepper

Remove the pot from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese until fully melted and incorporated.

Gently fold in the mozzarella cheese, allowing it to melt slightly into the hot soup—this creates those creamy ribbons throughout without completely melting it into invisibility.

Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper to your preference, remembering that the broth and cheeses already contain saltiness.

Step 6: Serve with Fresh Basil

• 4 tbsp basil

Ladle the soup into bowls and top each serving with a generous sprinkle of the freshly chiffonade basil.

The fresh herb cuts through the richness of the cheese and adds a bright, aromatic finish that makes this soup feel complete.

I prefer to add basil at serving time rather than cooking it in the pot—the fresh flavor and delicate texture are best preserved when added just before eating.

Hearty Lasagna Soup With Sausage

Delicious Hearty Lasagna Soup With Sausage recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 47 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

Calories 2500 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup onion (finely diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 3 tsp garlic
• 1 lb italian sausage (I prefer Johnsonville mild links with casings removed)
• 32 oz chicken stock (I always use Swanson for consistent salt levels)
• 30 oz diced tomatoes
• 6 oz tomato paste
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp italian seasoning
• 4 tbsp basil (freshly chiffonade into thin strips for best aroma)
• 8 lasagna noodles (broken into rough 1-inch pieces before boiling)
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup parmesan
• 1.5 cups mozzarella (I use Galbani whole milk for a better cheese pull)
• salt
• pepper

Instructions

 

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and fragrant. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until it becomes aromatic. This foundation of caramelized aromatics will build the depth of flavor for your entire soup.
• Increase heat to medium-high and add the Italian sausage to the pot with the cooked aromatics. Break it apart as it cooks, creating small crumbles throughout. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the meat is fully browned and no longer pink. Carefully pour off excess grease from the pot, leaving just enough for flavor—I find that leaving about a teaspoon of fat adds richness without being greasy.
• Pour the chicken stock into the pot with the browned sausage and aromatics, scraping the bottom to release any flavorful browned bits. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, tomato paste, oregano, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Stir well to combine and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. The tomato paste needs to dissolve fully into the broth to develop a rich, cohesive sauce.
• Once the broth reaches a boil, add the broken lasagna noodle pieces directly to the pot and stir immediately to prevent sticking. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender and have absorbed some of the broth. The soup should have a hearty consistency at this point—neither too brothy nor too thick.
• Remove the pot from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese until fully melted and incorporated. Gently fold in the mozzarella cheese, allowing it to melt slightly into the hot soup—this creates those creamy ribbons throughout without completely melting it into invisibility. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper to your preference, remembering that the broth and cheeses already contain saltiness.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and top each serving with a generous sprinkle of the freshly chiffonade basil. The fresh herb cuts through the richness of the cheese and adds a bright, aromatic finish that makes this soup feel complete. I prefer to add basil at serving time rather than cooking it in the pot—the fresh flavor and delicate texture are best preserved when added just before eating.