The Best Fluffy Pancakes recipe you will fall in love with. Full of tips and tricks to help you make the best pancakes.
What I can tell you for certain is that this soup came out of not wanting to deal with layering, boiling noodles separately, and waiting an hour for a bake to set. Same flavor, same gooey cheese pull, none of the assembly.
Straight ground beef keeps this one simple — no second meat to brown, no extra fat to drain off twice. Everything simmers in one pot, the noodles cook right in the broth, and you finish it with cream and cheese instead of ricotta dollops. It’s lasagna logic, soup execution.
Why This Works
Browning the meat first and letting the spices toast for that extra minute before the tomatoes go in matters more than it sounds like it should — skip it and the soup tastes like tomato broth with meat floating in it, not like lasagna. The toasting step is what makes the Italian seasoning taste cooked-in rather than sprinkled-on.
Adding the broken lasagna noodles straight into the simmering broth instead of boiling them separately means they release a bit of starch into the soup as they cook. That’s part of what gives the broth its slight body — thinner than a bechamel, thicker than a plain tomato soup.
The cream goes in at the end, off any hard boil, so it doesn’t split. Cheese follows for the same reason — high heat and pre-shredded mozzarella (which has anti-caking starch on it) can turn grainy if you dump it into a rolling boil.
Ingredients
Soup
- 1½ lb (700 g) lean ground beef
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 5 large garlic cloves, minced
- 28 oz (800 g) canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp (30 g) tomato paste
- 1 tbsp (5 g) Italian seasoning
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (adjust to your spice preference)
- 6 cups (1.5 liters) beef or chicken broth
- ½ tsp salt, to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper powder
- 8 sheets lasagna noodles, broken into pieces
- ¼ cup (25 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup (60 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
For the individual bowls
- ¼ cup (25 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup (30 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Heat some oil over medium-high heat in a large pot or Dutch oven.
- Add the ground beef. Cook, breaking the meat apart with a spoon, until browned and no longer pink.
- Drain any excess fat if necessary.
- Add the finely chopped onion and minced garlic. Cook for 2–3 minutes, until the onion turns translucent.
- Stir in the Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Cook for an additional minute to toast the spices — don’t skip this, it’s most of the flavor.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir well to combine with the meat and onions.
- Pour in the beef or chicken broth and stir again.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
- Cover and simmer for 15–20 minutes, letting the flavors meld.
- Add the broken lasagna noodles directly to the simmering soup.
- Cook for 10–12 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally so they don’t clump or stick to the bottom.
- Stir in the Parmesan, mozzarella, and parsley, then the heavy cream.
- Taste and adjust — more salt, a splash of water if it’s thicker than you want.
- Add grated Parmesan and shredded mozzarella to individual serving bowls first.
- Ladle the hot soup over the cheese so it melts right into each bowl.
- Top with extra Parmesan and fresh basil or parsley before serving.
Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 40 minutes Total time: 1 hour Servings: 6 Calories: 564 per serving
Tips
Put the cheese in the bowl before the soup, not after. Ladling hot soup over cold shredded cheese melts it into strings through the whole bowl instead of leaving a clump floating on top.
Don’t walk away once the noodles go in. They go from firm to blown-out soft in about two extra minutes, and broken lasagna sheets are thicker than most short pasta, so the window is narrower than it looks.
If the soup is too thick after sitting (it will be — noodles keep absorbing liquid), add broth in small splashes when reheating rather than water, so you don’t dilute the flavor.
Variations
Swap half the ground beef for mild Italian sausage if you want more fennel-forward flavor — this is worth trying, it leans the soup closer to an actual lasagna filling. I wouldn’t bother swapping the crushed tomatoes for diced, though; the texture gets chunky in a way that fights the noodles instead of blending with them.
A spinach version — stirred in during the last two minutes — works if you want some green in there, though it does mute the tomato flavor slightly. Ricotta dolloped on top instead of stirring cream into the pot is the closer-to-classic route, if you’d rather have pockets of ricotta than a uniformly creamy broth.
Make-Ahead
The base (through step 10, before the noodles go in) holds well in the fridge for up to 3 days and freezes fine for a couple months. Don’t add the noodles until you’re reheating to serve — they don’t hold up frozen or refrigerated, they go soft and starchy and the soup turns gluey. Cream and cheese are the same story: stir those in fresh each time you reheat a batch, not before storing.
FAQ
Can I use regular lasagna noodles instead of no-boil?
Yes — regular is actually what this recipe is built around, since they’re going into liquid to cook from raw anyway. No-boil noodles work too but tend to break down faster, so pull them a couple minutes early if that’s what you have.
Why did my soup turn out watery?
Usually one of two things: not enough simmer time before the noodles went in, or noodles pulled too early so they hadn’t released enough starch yet. Give it the full 15–20 minutes on the base before adding noodles.
Is this soup gluten-free if I swap the noodles?
Yes, gluten-free lasagna sheets or a sturdy gluten-free pasta shape both work. Just watch them closely — gluten-free pasta tends to go mushy faster than regular durum wheat pasta.
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
You can build the meat-and-tomato base on the stovetop, then transfer to a slow cooker on low for a few hours, adding the noodles only in the last 20–30 minutes so they don’t overcook.
What’s the best cheese for topping if I don’t have mozzarella?
Provolone melts almost as well and adds a slightly sharper edge — I’d reach for that over cheddar, which can make the whole pot taste more like a cheese soup than a lasagna soup.
Closing Thoughts
This is the kind of soup that’s better the second day, once the noodles have had a chance to really take on the broth — A loaf of something crusty on the side does more for this than a salad ever will.
Cheesy Lasagna Soup
This hearty Cheesy Lasagna Soup combines seasoned ground beef, tender lasagna noodles, crushed tomatoes, Parmesan, mozzarella, and heavy cream in one comforting pot. It delivers all the rich, cheesy flavors of classic lasagna in an easy soup that is ready in about one hour.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Brown the Ground Beef
- Heat a small amount of cooking oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned and no longer pink.
- Drain any excess fat from the pot if necessary.
Add the Aromatics and Seasonings
- Add the finely chopped onion and minced garlic. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion becomes translucent.
- Stir in the Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
- Cook for approximately 1 minute, stirring constantly, to lightly toast the seasonings.
Build and Simmer the Soup
- Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir until the tomato paste is evenly incorporated with the beef and onion mixture.
- Pour in the beef or chicken broth and stir well.
- Increase the heat and bring the soup to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 15–20 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.
Cook the Lasagna Noodles
- Add the broken lasagna noodles directly to the simmering soup.
- Cook uncovered for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the noodles from sticking, until they are tender.
Make the Soup Creamy and Cheesy
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, chopped parsley, and heavy cream.
- Stir gently until the cheeses are melted and the soup is creamy and evenly combined. Avoid rapidly boiling the soup after adding the cream and cheese.
- Taste and adjust the salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes as needed. Add a small amount of broth or water if the soup is thicker than desired.
Assemble and Serve
- Divide the Parmesan and mozzarella reserved for serving among the bottoms of the individual soup bowls.
- Ladle the hot lasagna soup over the cheese in each bowl.
- Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese and fresh basil or parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Ground beef: Drain excess fat after browning when necessary so the finished soup is not greasy.
- Broth: Beef broth gives the soup a deeper flavor, while chicken broth produces a slightly lighter result.
- Spice level: Reduce, increase, or omit the red pepper flakes according to your preference.
- Noodles: Break the lasagna sheets into similarly sized pieces so they cook evenly and are easy to eat.
- Prevent sticking: Stir the soup occasionally after adding the noodles, especially near the bottom of the pot.
- Cheese: Freshly grated Parmesan and freshly shredded mozzarella melt more smoothly than pre-shredded cheese.
- Consistency: The noodles continue absorbing liquid as the soup sits. Add more broth or water if the soup becomes too thick.
- Serving bowls: Placing Parmesan and mozzarella in the bowls before adding the hot soup creates an extra-cheesy layer.
- Storage: Refrigerate cooled leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days.
- Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding extra broth or water to loosen the soup as needed.
- Freezing: For the best texture, freeze the soup base without the noodles, cream, or cheese and add those ingredients after reheating.
