The Simple Joy of this Hearty Lasagna Soup
Something magical happens when you take all the cozy flavors of traditional lasagna and transform them into a soul-warming soup that’s ready in under 30 minutes.
I mean, who’s time for layering noodles when you’re starving? This recipe gives you all that cheesy, meaty, saucy goodness without the fuss.
You’ll get tender broken lasagna noodles swimming in rich tomato sauce with seasoned ground beef, kidney beans, and mixed vegetables. The ricotta adds that creamy lasagna touch.
It’s comfort food that doesn’t require patience, which honestly makes it perfect for my attention span.
Ingredients
Getting this hearty lasagna soup on your table starts with gathering up some pretty straightforward ingredients that you probably already have hanging around your kitchen.
The beauty of this recipe is that it doesn’t demand any fancy specialty items or expensive cuts of meat, which honestly makes my wallet happy and my weeknight dinner planning a whole lot easier.
- 1 lb lean ground beef, cooked, rinsed and drained
- 2 (27 ounce) cans chunky style spaghetti sauce
- 1 (54 fluid ounce) can water
- 1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 8 ounces dry lasagna noodles, uncooked and broken into 3-inch pieces
- 3 cups frozen Italian mixed vegetables (or any kind of mixed vegetables)
- 2 (19 ounce) cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup light ricotta cheese
Now, let me tell you about a few ingredient swaps that can save your dinner if you’re missing something.
Don’t stress if you can’t find chunky spaghetti sauce, regular marinara works just fine, and those frozen vegetables are totally flexible.
I mean, if you’ve got a bag of mixed veggies that’s been sitting in your freezer since who knows when, toss it in.
The bouillon situation might seem a little weird with both beef and chicken, but trust me, they’re working together to create this incredible depth of flavor that makes the soup taste like it’s been simmering all day.
How to Make this Hearty Lasagna Soup
Making this lasagna soup is honestly one of those recipes where you can’t really mess it up, which is exactly what I need on a busy Tuesday night when my brain feels like mush.
Start by grabbing your largest pot, the one that usually sits in the back of your cabinet collecting dust, because this recipe makes a serious amount of soup. Toss in your 1 lb of cooked and drained ground beef along with both 27-ounce cans of chunky spaghetti sauce, that giant 54-fluid-ounce can of water, 1 teaspoon of beef bouillon granules, and those 2 chicken bouillon cubes.
Give everything a good stir and crank up the heat until the whole mixture comes to a rolling boil, which should take about 5-7 minutes depending on how cooperative your stove is feeling.
Once you’ve got those bubbles dancing around, it’s time to add the fun stuff. Break your 8 ounces of lasagna noodles into roughly 3-inch pieces, though honestly, if some end up bigger or smaller, the soup police aren’t going to come knocking on your door.
Drop those broken noodles right into the pot along with your 3 cups of frozen mixed vegetables and both cans of rinsed kidney beans.
Now here’s where patience becomes your best friend, reduce that heat to a gentle simmer and let everything hang out together for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing decides to become best friends with the bottom of your pot. A premium stand mixer can make preparing homemade pasta or bread to serve alongside this soup a breeze, but store-bought lasagna noodles work perfectly here.
You’ll know it’s ready when you can easily pierce a noodle with a fork, and at that point, stir in your 1/2 cup of light ricotta cheese right before serving because nobody wants stringy, overcooked cheese floating around in their soup.
Substitutions and Variations
While this lasagna soup recipe is pretty forgiving as written, there’s absolutely no reason you can’t tweak it to work with whatever’s lurking in your pantry or to accommodate your family’s pickier eaters.
I’d swap ground turkey for beef, or try Italian sausage for extra flavor. No ricotta? Cream cheese works beautifully. Hate kidney beans? White beans, black beans, whatever.
Those lasagna noodles can become bow ties or shells. And honestly, if your kids turn their noses up at mixed vegetables, just toss in some frozen corn and call it a day.
Additional Things to Serve With Hearty Lasagna Soup
Now that you’ve got this incredible soup bubbling away in your pot, let’s talk about what makes it even better on the side.
I’m thinking crusty garlic bread, obviously. Because who doesn’t want something to dunk into that rich, tomatoey goodness?
A simple Caesar salad cuts through all that hearty richness perfectly. Want something lighter? Buttered dinner rolls work too.
I also love serving this with a sprinkle of fresh parmesan and maybe some crushed red pepper flakes for those who like heat.
Keep it simple, keep it comforting.
Final Thoughts
Honestly, this hearty lasagna soup hits all the right notes when you’re craving comfort food but don’t want to spend three hours layering noodles and cheese.
I mean, who’s time for that on a Tuesday night? This soup gives you all those cozy lasagna flavors in one pot, which means less cleanup and more time for whatever you’d rather be doing.
Plus, it freezes beautifully, so you can stash some away for those inevitable “what’s for dinner” panic moments.
Trust me, your future self will thank you when you’re reheating this liquid gold.
