Best Lasagna Soup with Sausage and Ground Beef

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Coming up with a satisfying dinner that pleases the whole family on busy weeknights can feel impossible. Between work schedules, after-school activities, and everyone’s different tastes, finding something that’s both hearty and easy to make often seems out of reach.

That’s where this lasagna soup with sausage and ground beef comes to the rescue. It delivers all the comforting flavors of traditional lasagna but comes together in one pot, making cleanup a breeze and giving you more time to spend with your family around the dinner table.

What Kind of Ground Meat Should I Use?

For this lasagna soup, you’ll want to use a combination of lean ground beef and Italian sausage to get the best flavor. I recommend choosing 85/15 or 90/10 ground beef since it gives you enough fat for flavor without making the soup too greasy. For the Italian sausage, you can go with either sweet or spicy depending on your preference – both work great in this recipe. If you can only find sausage links instead of ground, just remove the casings and crumble the meat as it cooks. The combination of these two meats creates a rich, hearty base that really makes this soup taste like lasagna in a bowl.

Options for Substitutions

This comforting soup is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps and substitutions:

• Ground beef and Italian sausage: You can use all ground beef or all sausage if that’s what you have on hand. Ground turkey or chicken work great too for a lighter version – just add extra Italian seasoning to boost the flavor.
• Lasagna noodles: Any pasta shape works here! Try penne, rigatoni, or even broken spaghetti. Just adjust cooking time based on the pasta you choose.
• Ricotta cheese: Cottage cheese is a great substitute and often more budget-friendly. You can also use cream cheese for extra richness – just add it at the end and stir until melted.
• Fresh spinach: Frozen spinach works perfectly – just thaw and drain it first. You can also skip the greens entirely or swap in kale or Swiss chard.
• Chicken broth: Vegetable broth makes this soup vegetarian-friendly if you skip the meat. Beef broth adds even more richness if you prefer.
• Fresh herbs: Dried herbs work fine – use about 1/3 the amount called for in fresh. If you don’t have fresh basil for serving, a sprinkle of dried Italian seasoning does the trick.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making lasagna soup is adding the broken lasagna noodles too early, which will result in mushy, overcooked pasta that falls apart – wait until the last 12-15 minutes of cooking time to add them so they stay tender but firm.

Another common error is not properly browning the ground beef and sausage, so make sure to cook them until they develop a nice golden color and break up any large chunks for the best texture and flavor.

Don’t dump all the ricotta cheese directly into the hot soup at once, as it can curdle and create an unappetizing appearance – instead, temper it by mixing a few spoonfuls of the hot broth into the ricotta first, then stir this mixture back into the soup.

Finally, if you’re using fresh spinach, add it during the very last few minutes of cooking since it wilts quickly and can become slimy if overcooked.

What to Serve With Lasagna Soup?

This hearty lasagna soup is practically a complete meal on its own, but I love serving it with some crusty garlic bread or warm dinner rolls for dipping into all that cheesy goodness. A simple Caesar salad or mixed greens with Italian dressing makes a nice light side that cuts through the richness of the soup. If you want to keep things super cozy, try serving it with some buttery breadsticks or even just a slice of toasted sourdough bread. For extra indulgence, you can sprinkle some extra parmesan and mozzarella on top and pop it under the broiler for a minute to get that bubbly, golden cheese layer.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate: This hearty lasagna soup keeps really well in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. The flavors actually get even better after a day or two, so it’s perfect for meal prep. Just keep in mind that the noodles will continue to absorb the broth, so you might need to add a splash more broth when reheating.

Freeze: You can freeze this soup for up to 3 months, but I recommend freezing it before adding the noodles since they can get mushy. Store the soup base in freezer-safe containers, then cook fresh noodles when you’re ready to serve. If you do freeze it with noodles, just know the texture will be a bit different.

Warm Up: Reheat your soup gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. You can also use the microwave, but stir it every minute or so to heat evenly. Add a little extra broth or water if it seems too thick, and top with fresh cheese and herbs before serving.

Preparation Time	15-20 minutes
Cooking Time	25-30 minutes
Total Time	40-50 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

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

• Calories: 2200-2500
• Protein: 130-150 g
• Fat: 120-140 g
• Carbohydrates: 160-180 g

Ingredients

For the soup base:

• 8 oz lean ground beef
• 8 oz ground italian sausage
• Salt and black pepper, as needed
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 24 oz marinara sauce (or homemade equivalent)
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or 2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 7 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 9 sheets lasagna noodles, broken in pieces
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves (optional)

For the cheese topping:

• 10 oz ricotta or cottage cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

For garnish:

• Fresh basil leaves

Step 1: Brown the Meats

• 8 oz lean ground beef
• 8 oz ground Italian sausage
• salt and black pepper, as needed

In a large pot over medium-high heat, cook the lean ground beef and ground Italian sausage together until they are thoroughly browned.

As they cook, season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Once browned, drain any excess grease and remove the cooked meat from the pot, setting it aside for later.

Step 2: Sauté the Aromatics

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced

In the same pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

Add the diced yellow onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are soft and translucent.

Next, add the minced garlic and continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.

I find sautéing the onions slowly really brings out their sweetness, which is a great foundation for the soup.

Step 3: Build the Soup Base & Simmer

• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 24 oz marinara sauce (or homemade equivalent)
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or 2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 7 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• browned meats from Step 1

Stir the tomato paste into the sautéed onions and garlic, cooking for about a minute.

Pour in the marinara sauce, crushed red pepper flakes, chopped parsley (or dried), dried oregano, dried basil, and chicken or vegetable broth.

Mix everything well and return the browned meats from Step 1 to the pot.

Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.

Step 4: Cook the Noodles and Add Spinach

• 9 sheets lasagna noodles, broken in pieces
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves (optional)

Once the soup base is boiling, add the lasagna noodles (broken into roughly fourths) to the pot.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender—this usually takes about 10-12 minutes.

If using baby spinach, add the leaves in the final few minutes of cooking and stir until just wilted.

I like to add an extra handful of spinach for a boost of color and nutrients.

Step 5: Mix the Cheeses

• 10 oz ricotta or cottage cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta or cottage cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese, and grated Parmesan cheese.

Stir them together until well mixed.

This cheese mixture will be used as a creamy topping for the finished soup.

Step 6: Serve and Garnish

• cheese mixture from Step 5
• fresh basil leaves

Ladle the hot lasagna soup into serving bowls.

Dollop a generous scoop of the cheese mixture from Step 5 on top of each bowl.

Garnish with fresh basil leaves before serving for a fragrant, colorful finish.

For a touch more flavor, I sometimes add a crack of fresh black pepper on top.