Description
This hearty one pot lasagna soup combines ground beef, broken lasagna noodles, and rich tomato sauce in a single pot for easy weeknight comfort food that tastes just like traditional lasagna.
Ingredients
For the Soup Base:
- 1 lb lean ground beef (or half beef, half Italian sausage for extra flavor)
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4–5 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼–½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional, for a gentle kick)
- 1 (24 oz) jar marinara sauce
- 1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1½ tsp granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp dried basil
- 1 tsp each: dried parsley, dried oregano, salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 whole bay leaf
- 8–10 lasagna noodles, broken into 1–2 inch pieces (use regular noodles, not no-boil)
- 8–10 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream (optional, for extra creaminess)
Cheese Garnishes:
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh ricotta cheese
Instructions
Toss the ground beef and onion in your big pot over medium-high heat. Break up that meat with your spoon while it browns. Takes about 6-8 minutes and your kitchen will start smelling incredible.
Chuck in the garlic and red pepper flakes. Stir for maybe 30 seconds until it smells amazing. Don’t wander off here – garlic burns fast and tastes bitter.
Dump in your marinara, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, balsamic, sugar, and all those herbs. Add the broken noodles and about 6 cups broth. Give it a good stir and don’t worry if it looks like too much liquid.
Bring it to a boil then turn it down to simmer. Let it bubble away for 20-30 minutes while you clean up or help with homework. Stir it every so often so nothing sticks.
Fish out that bay leaf and toss it. If you’re using cream, stir it in now. Add more broth if you want it soupier – some nights I like it thick, other nights more liquidy.
Ladle into bowls and let everyone go crazy with the cheese. My kids pile it on so high you can barely see the soup underneath.
Notes
Brown your meat until it’s actually brown, not just gray. Those crispy bits matter more than you think. I always taste the soup before serving because every jar of marinara is different – sometimes you need more salt, sometimes more sugar.
Break those noodles with your hands instead of cutting them. Sounds weird but it makes better shapes. If your soup ends up too thick, thin it out with warm broth. Too thin? Just let it simmer without the lid for ten more minutes.
My biggest mistake was rushing the simmering part early on. Give those flavors time to get acquainted – that extra ten minutes is what separates good from mind-blowing.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: One Pot
- Cuisine: Italian-American