Easy Creamy Lasagna Soup

This easy creamy lasagna soup is a total crowd-pleaser, even for the pickiest eaters! It’s made with a cozy blend of ground beef, Italian herbs, rich cream, and tender lasagna noodles. Every spoonful packs all the classic lasagna flavors you love, but it’s ready in roughly half the usual time. Plus, I’m sharing stovetop, Instant Pot, and slow cooker methods, so you can choose what works best for your busy weeknight.

Just a heads up — this post was refreshed on October 26, 2022, but rest assured the recipe you know and love stayed exactly the same.

I’m so excited to share what has become a family favorite around here: Easy Creamy Lasagna Soup! Think of it as all the comforting, cheesy goodness of classic lasagna, transformed into a fun, hearty soup that cooks up in way less time. It’s warm, satisfying, and perfect for days when you want a homey meal without a lot of fuss.

If you’ve enjoyed my Instant Pot Cheeseburger Soup, you’re going to love this twist on lasagna — it’s a delicious shortcut for busy nights. This creamy lasagna soup features familiar ingredients like ground beef, cream, cheese, tomatoes, and beloved Italian herbs, all in one pot. Plus, it’s easy to customize with your favorite toppings, making dinner both comforting and exciting.

This creamy lasagna soup brings you all the cozy, cheesy flavors you crave from classic lasagna, but in a much faster, easier way. Picture a rich, tomato-forward broth filled with perfectly browned ground beef, tender broken lasagna noodles, fragrant Italian herbs, and a splash of cream that makes everything silky smooth. Then, it’s topped off with melty cheese and fresh basil that truly make it shine. It’s the kind of dish that feels like a warm hug and makes everyone at the table happy — totally family-friendly and picky-eater approved.

In this recipe post, I’ve included a detailed ingredient list with handy swap ideas, plus step-by-step instructions for the stovetop, Instant Pot, and slow cooker versions. You’ll also get my best tips for getting the perfect noodle texture, creative topping ideas, and advice on storing and freezing leftovers. This recipe serves about 8, all ready in about 40 minutes total (10 minutes prep and 30 minutes cooking). It’s easy to make with beef, turkey, or even a vegetarian twist, and you can swap in gluten-free noodles if needed.

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven and add the onion. Cook until it’s soft, then add the beef and sauté. Once the beef is browned all over, stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, oregano and tomato paste.
• Stir the tomato sauce, diced canned tomatoes, and chicken broth. Bring it to a boil, then add the broken lasagna noodles to the pot. Add remaining 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, or more to taste. Reduce the heat and let it simmer until the noodles are tender.
• Stir in the heavy cream. You can add 1-2 cups extra chicken broth at this point to help thin it out if you want a thinner soup. Pro tip: Stir shredded mozzarella or parmesan right into the soup to make it extra creamy and cheesy!
• Spoon the lasagna soup into bowls and add ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese along with fresh basil on top. Serve and enjoy!

Why You’ll Love This

What I love most about this creamy lasagna soup is how it captures the heart of classic lasagna with way less hassle. It’s all cooked in one pot—or, if you love set-it-and-forget-it meals, the Instant Pot or slow cooker (try our Crock-Pot Chicken Noodle Soup)—so cleanup is quick, too. This recipe is super versatile, letting you use ground beef, ground turkey, or a plant-based alternative for a lighter take. You can even make it vegetarian by swapping chicken broth for vegetable broth and leaving out the meat. For a fully dairy-free option, our Creamy Vegan Asparagus Soup (Dairy Free) hits the same cozy, creamy notes. No matter how you make it, the soup finishes creamy, cheesy, and satisfying. Each bowl is a little blank canvas you can customize with ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, fresh basil, and crusty bread on the side. Dinner doesn’t get much better than that!

Ingredients and Easy Swaps

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 pound ground beef, 80/20
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 25 ounces tomato basil pasta sauce
• 28 ounces diced canned tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken broth, more if you want a thinner soup
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided or more to taste
• 12 lasagna noodles, uncooked and broken into 2″ pieces
• ½ cup heavy cream, optional
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• ½ cup ricotta cheese
• 6 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped

Cooking Directions for Every Method

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
2. Add finely diced onion and cook until soft and fragrant.
3. Add ground beef and sauté until browned.
4. Stir in minced garlic, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, dried oregano, and tomato paste; cook until fragrant.
5. Pour in tomato basil pasta sauce, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth and bring to a boil.
6. Break lasagna noodles into 1–2 inch pieces and add them to the boiling pot.
7. Add remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or more to taste) and press noodles down so they are fully submerged.
8. Reduce heat and simmer until the noodles are tender.

9. Remove pot from heat and stir in heavy cream gradually while stirring to prevent splitting; add 1–2 cups extra chicken broth if a thinner soup is desired.

   

10. Stir shredded mozzarella or parmesan into the hot soup for extra creaminess, if desired.
11. Ladle soup into bowls and top with ricotta, shredded mozzarella, grated parmesan, and chopped fresh basil.
12. For the slow cooker: brown the meat in a skillet with a little oil until cooked through.
13. Add diced onion, minced garlic, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, salt, and oregano to the skillet and cook briefly.
14. Transfer the browned meat mixture to the slow cooker and stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth; season with salt to taste.
15. Cover and cook on High 4 hours or Low 8 hours.
16. Cook lasagna noodles separately on the stove until tender when using the slow cooker method.
17. About 30 minutes before serving the slow cooker soup, stir the cooked noodles and heavy cream into the slow cooker.
18. For the Instant Pot: use Sauté mode to brown the meat.
19. Add diced onion, minced garlic, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, salt, and oregano and cook briefly on Sauté.
20. Turn off Sauté, stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and broken lasagna noodles, seal the lid, and cook on Soup mode for 15 minutes.
21. Quick-release the pressure and stir in heavy cream (and cooked noodles if you prepared them separately) before serving.

Tips for Best Texture and Flavor

• Make sure to break the lasagna noodles into 1 to 2 inch pieces — it helps them cook evenly and makes them easy to eat with each spoonful.
• Keep those broken noodles fully submerged during cooking; give the soup a gentle stir and press the noodles down if they start floating up.
• Use 80/20 ground beef for a nice balance of flavor and juiciness. Swap in lean turkey or plant-based ground meat for a lighter or vegetarian option.
• For ultimate creaminess, stir shredded mozzarella or parmesan cheese into the hot soup just before serving — it melts beautifully and adds richness.
• Avoid oven-ready lasagna noodles for this recipe since they tend to get too soft and mushy when boiled in soup. Traditional dried noodles or other dried pasta shapes work best.
• If you’re using a slow cooker, cook the noodles separately so they don’t overcook and turn to mush (see this slow cooker hearty chicken soup method for timing). Add them in near the end along with the cream.
• To keep your cream from splitting, take the soup off high heat before stirring it in, or add the cream gradually, stirring constantly — the same approach we use in our Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup.
• Always taste and adjust salt at the very end — broths and canned tomatoes can vary quite a bit in saltiness.

Toppings, Mix-Ins, and Substitutions

One of the best things about creamy lasagna soup is all the ways you can dress it up. Make each bowl a little different with these tasty topping ideas:

• Cheeses: You can never have too much cheese! Add shredded mozzarella, grated parmesan, creamy ricotta, or sharp romano to kick it up a notch.
• Fresh herbs: A sprinkle of fresh basil or chopped parsley brightens up every bite.
• Crusty bread: For some satisfying crunch, add homemade croutons, toasted breadcrumbs, or little pieces of crusty bread or focaccia alongside your soup.

This soup is filling on its own and pairs wonderfully with thick slices of garlic bread. I also love serving it with my Kale Caesar Salad or Radicchio Caesar Salad, or a classic Italian Salad — it’s the perfect cozy, comforting dinner for the whole family!

Storage, Freezing, and Reheating

Fridge: Keep any leftover creamy lasagna soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Since the noodles soak up liquid, those leftovers taste best within 2 to 3 days. If you want to store it longer, cook the soup without the noodles and add fresh ones when reheating to keep the texture just right.

Freezer: To freeze, skip the noodles and heavy cream in your batch. Let the soup cool completely, then pack it into airtight containers or freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, thaw it in the fridge overnight, warm it gently on the stove, and stir in fresh cream and freshly cooked noodles before serving. If you’d rather freeze a simpler, noodle-free soup, our Best Tomato Soup Recipe is a reliable option.

Reheating: Warm leftovers on the stovetop over low to medium heat, stirring now and then. Add a splash of chicken broth or water if it gets too thick. You can microwave single servings in short bursts, stirring in between. For velvety texture, add cream or extra cheese after reheating. These same gentle steps work for other creamy soups like Creamy Potato Soup.

Common Questions

What kind of pasta noodles should I use?

Dried lasagna noodles are definitely your best bet here. Oven-ready noodles get way too soft when boiled in soup and can fall apart. If you don’t have lasagna noodles on hand, use any pasta you prefer, long or short (short tubes like penne, as in our Italian Sausage Pasta – 30-Minute Meal, also work well)!

How long does lasagna soup last?

You can keep leftover lasagna soup in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Just remember that the noodles soak up broth over time, so it’s best to enjoy it within 2 to 3 days if you want the best texture. For longer storage, make it without noodles, then cook fresh noodles when reheating.

Can you freeze lasagna soup?

You can freeze the soup, but only if you leave out the noodles and cream. Pack the cooled soup into airtight containers or freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently. Just cook noodles separately and stir them together with cream into the warmed soup before serving.