Quick Lasagna Soup for a Crowd

I used to think lasagna was an all-day project reserved for Sunday dinners when I had hours to kill. You know—boiling noodles, layering everything just right, waiting forever for it to bake. Then a friend told me about lasagna soup, and I laughed. Soup? Really?

Turns out, she was onto something. This lasagna soup gives you all those cheesy, tomatoey, Italian sausage flavors you love, but in a fraction of the time. No careful layering required. You just throw everything in a pot, let it simmer, and dinner’s ready in about thirty minutes. Plus, the recipe makes enough to feed a crowd, which means either a easy weeknight meal with leftovers for days, or a stress-free option when you’ve got people coming over.

What Kind of Italian Sausage Should I Use?

You can use either sweet or hot Italian sausage for this soup, depending on how much spice you want. Sweet Italian sausage gives you all that classic fennel and herb flavor without any heat, while hot Italian sausage adds a nice kick that some people really love. If you can’t decide, you could even do half and half to get the best of both worlds. Most grocery stores carry Italian sausage in links or ground form, and either one works great here – just remove the casings from the links if that’s what you grab.

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 great here. If using plain ground meat, add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of fennel seeds and a pinch of red pepper flakes to mimic that sausage flavor.
• Chicken stock: Beef stock or vegetable stock both work fine. You can even use water with a couple of bouillon cubes if that’s what you have on hand.
• Lasagna noodles: Break up regular lasagna noodles into bite-sized pieces, or use other pasta shapes like penne, rigatoni, or even rotini. Just adjust cooking time based on the pasta package directions.
• Fresh basil: If you only have dried basil, use 1 tablespoon instead of 3 tablespoons fresh. Add it earlier in the cooking process with the other dried herbs.
• Mozzarella cheese: A ricotta dollop on top works nicely too, or you can use a blend of whatever Italian cheeses you have – provolone, fontina, or asiago all taste good here.
• Diced tomatoes: Crushed tomatoes or even a large can of tomato sauce can substitute. If using sauce, you might want to reduce the tomato paste to 3-4 oz to avoid it getting too thick.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making lasagna soup is adding the noodles too early, which turns them into mushy, overcooked pieces that fall apart – wait until your broth is at a rolling boil and keep an eye on them since they cook faster in soup than they do in traditional lasagna.

Another common error is not draining the Italian sausage well enough after browning, leaving your soup with an oily layer on top that nobody wants to see.

To get the best flavor, make sure you break up the tomato paste completely and let it cook for a minute or two with the other ingredients before adding the liquid, which helps it blend smoothly and prevents clumps.

Finally, add the cheeses at the very end and remove the pot from heat before stirring them in, as high heat can make the cheese stringy and separated instead of creamy.

What to Serve With Lasagna Soup?

A basket of warm garlic bread is pretty much a must with lasagna soup – you’ll want something to scoop up all that cheesy, tomatoey goodness. I like to make a simple Caesar salad on the side with romaine lettuce, croutons, and plenty of parmesan to keep things fresh and crunchy. If you’re feeding a crowd, you could also set out some breadsticks or focaccia for dipping, and maybe a simple arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette to balance out the richness of the soup. For a fun appetizer before the soup, try some bruschetta or a antipasto platter with olives, salami, and marinated vegetables.

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 all the broth over time. If you’re planning to eat it within a day or two though, just toss it all together.

Freeze: This soup freezes great for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely, then portion it into freezer-safe containers. Just know that the noodles might get a bit softer after freezing, so some people prefer to freeze just the soup base and add fresh cooked noodles when reheating.

Reheat: Warm it up on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. You might need to add a splash of chicken stock or water since the noodles absorb liquid as they sit. Top with fresh cheese right before serving for the best taste.

Estimated Nutrition

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

• Calories: 2500-2800
• Protein: 110-130 g
• Fat: 130-150 g
• Carbohydrates: 180-200 g

Ingredients

For the soup base:

• 1.5 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup onion (finely diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 3 tsp garlic
• 1 lb italian sausage (I prefer Johnsonville mild ground sausage)
• 32 oz chicken stock (I use Swanson for a consistent savory base)
• 30 oz diced tomatoes
• 6 oz tomato paste
• 1 tsp oregano
• 0.75 tsp italian seasoning
• 4 tbsp basil (freshly julienned into thin strips)
• 8 lasagna noodles (broken into 1-2 inch pieces)

For the finish:

• 0.75 cup parmesan cheese
• 1.25 cup mozzarella cheese (freshly shredded for a better melt)
• salt
• pepper
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese

Step 1: Prepare Mise en Place and Build the Aromatics Base

• 1.5 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup onion
• 3 tsp garlic
• 8 lasagna noodles

Finely dice the onion into 1/4-inch pieces and mince the garlic, setting them aside.

Break the lasagna noodles into 1-2 inch pieces and set aside.

Shred the mozzarella cheese fresh if not already done, and have the ricotta, parmesan, and fresh basil ready for later steps.

Heat 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until shimmering, then add the diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it becomes translucent and fragrant.

Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute, stirring constantly to prevent burning.

Step 2: Brown the Sausage and Build Flavor Depth

• 1 lb italian sausage
• onion and garlic base from Step 1

Increase heat to medium-high and add the 1 lb of Italian sausage to the pot with the aromatic base.

Break it apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks, allowing it to brown evenly for 5-7 minutes.

I like to let the meat develop a nice golden crust on the bottom of the pot before stirring—this creates more complex flavor.

Once the sausage is fully cooked and no pink remains, carefully pour off excess grease if needed, leaving about 1 tablespoon to flavor the broth.

Step 3: Build the Tomato-Based Broth

• 32 oz chicken stock
• 30 oz diced tomatoes
• 6 oz tomato paste
• sausage mixture from Step 2

Add the 32 oz chicken stock, 30 oz diced tomatoes (with their juice), and 6 oz tomato paste directly to the pot with the sausage mixture.

Stir well to dissolve the tomato paste and incorporate all ingredients evenly.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a medium simmer.

The tomato paste needs thorough incorporation to prevent lumps and ensure even flavor distribution throughout the broth.

Step 4: Season and Add Pasta

• 1 tsp oregano
• 0.75 tsp italian seasoning
• 2 tbsp basil
• 8 lasagna noodles
• salt
• pepper
• broth from Step 3

Stir in 1 tsp oregano, 0.75 tsp Italian seasoning, and half of the fresh basil (about 2 tbsp), reserving the remaining basil for garnish.

Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.

Bring the broth back to a rolling boil, then add the broken lasagna noodles.

I find breaking the noodles into smaller pieces creates a heartier, more soup-like texture that’s perfect for serving a crowd—much better than leaving them whole.

Step 5: Cook Noodles and Finish with Cheese

• 0.75 cup parmesan cheese
• 1.25 cup mozzarella cheese
• soup with noodles from Step 4

Once the broth returns to a boil after adding noodles, reduce heat to medium and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lasagna pieces are tender but not mushy.

The noodles will continue to soften slightly as they sit, so err on the side of al dente.

Remove from heat and stir in the 0.75 cup parmesan cheese and 1.25 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese, stirring until completely melted and incorporated.

The residual heat will melt the cheese beautifully without requiring additional cooking.

Step 6: Serve and Garnish

• 0.5 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 tbsp basil
• finished soup from Step 5

Ladle the hot lasagna soup into bowls.

Top each serving with a generous dollop of ricotta cheese (about 1-2 tablespoons per bowl) and sprinkle with the reserved fresh basil.

The cool ricotta creates a creamy contrast to the hot, savory broth while the fresh basil adds brightness to the dish.

Quick Lasagna Soup for a Crowd

Delicious Quick Lasagna Soup for a Crowd recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 37 minutes mins

Servings 8 servings

Calories 2650 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the soup base::

• 1.5 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup onion (finely diced into 1/4-inch pieces)
• 3 tsp garlic
• 1 lb italian sausage (I prefer Johnsonville mild ground sausage)
• 32 oz chicken stock (I use Swanson for a consistent savory base)
• 30 oz diced tomatoes
• 6 oz tomato paste
• 1 tsp oregano
• 0.75 tsp italian seasoning
• 4 tbsp basil (freshly julienned into thin strips)
• 8 lasagna noodles (broken into 1-2 inch pieces)

For the finish::

• 0.75 cup parmesan cheese
• 1.25 cup mozzarella cheese (freshly shredded for a better melt)
• salt
• pepper
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese

Instructions

 

• Finely dice the onion into 1/4-inch pieces and mince the garlic, setting them aside. Break the lasagna noodles into 1-2 inch pieces and set aside. Shred the mozzarella cheese fresh if not already done, and have the ricotta, parmesan, and fresh basil ready for later steps. Heat 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until shimmering, then add the diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it becomes translucent and fragrant. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
• Increase heat to medium-high and add the 1 lb of Italian sausage to the pot with the aromatic base. Break it apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks, allowing it to brown evenly for 5-7 minutes. I like to let the meat develop a nice golden crust on the bottom of the pot before stirring—this creates more complex flavor. Once the sausage is fully cooked and no pink remains, carefully pour off excess grease if needed, leaving about 1 tablespoon to flavor the broth.
• Add the 32 oz chicken stock, 30 oz diced tomatoes (with their juice), and 6 oz tomato paste directly to the pot with the sausage mixture. Stir well to dissolve the tomato paste and incorporate all ingredients evenly. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a medium simmer. The tomato paste needs thorough incorporation to prevent lumps and ensure even flavor distribution throughout the broth.
• Stir in 1 tsp oregano, 0.75 tsp Italian seasoning, and half of the fresh basil (about 2 tbsp), reserving the remaining basil for garnish. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Bring the broth back to a rolling boil, then add the broken lasagna noodles. I find breaking the noodles into smaller pieces creates a heartier, more soup-like texture that's perfect for serving a crowd—much better than leaving them whole.
• Once the broth returns to a boil after adding noodles, reduce heat to medium and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lasagna pieces are tender but not mushy. The noodles will continue to soften slightly as they sit, so err on the side of al dente. Remove from heat and stir in the 0.75 cup parmesan cheese and 1.25 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese, stirring until completely melted and incorporated. The residual heat will melt the cheese beautifully without requiring additional cooking.
• Ladle the hot lasagna soup into bowls. Top each serving with a generous dollop of ricotta cheese (about 1-2 tablespoons per bowl) and sprinkle with the reserved fresh basil. The cool ricotta creates a creamy contrast to the hot, savory broth while the fresh basil adds brightness to the dish.