Imagine a soup that laughs in the face of basic noodle soups—it’s Lasagna Soup! With its wavy pasta sheets, creamy Parmesan-enriched ricotta, and chunks of golden Italian sausage, it’s like classic baked lasagna in a bowl. Serve it up with some red wine, garlic bread, and a peppery arugula salad for the perfect meal.
To make Lasagna Soup, start by sautéing sweet Italian sausage in oil to really amp up the flavor. Then, cook some fennel and onion until they’re soft and packed with rich, veggie goodness. Next, create a delicious tomatoey broth to cook the noodles in, and finish it off with a dollop of ricotta and Parmesan cheese. If you’re going vegetarian, just swap in plant-based meat or skip it altogether.
Italian seasoning is a handy mix of herbs like basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, parsley, and marjoram. If you don’t have it, no worries! You can use a quarter teaspoon each of basil, rosemary, thyme, and oregano from your spice cabinet.
Lasagna Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 12 oz. sweet Italian sausage removed from casing
- 1 large bulb fennel about 10 oz., cored and chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion about 8 oz., chopped
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 28-oz. can pureed tomatoes
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 Parmesan rind
- 6 oz. wavy lasagna sheets about 7, broken into quarters
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan about 2 oz.
- Fresh basil leaves for serving
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate lined with paper towels and reserve 2 tablespoons fat in the pot.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add fennel, onion, salt, and pepper to the pot. Cook until vegetables are soft and beginning to brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and Italian seasoning, cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add pureed tomatoes, broth, water, Parmesan rind, and reserved sausage to the pot. Bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Add noodles and simmer, uncovered, until al dente, about 12 to 14 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a small bowl, combine ricotta, grated Parmesan, salt, and pepper.
- Ladle soup into bowls and top with cheese mixture, a drizzle of olive oil, and basil leaves. Enjoy your hearty Lasagna Soup!