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Cheesy Ground Beef Lasagna Soup

Cheesy ground beef lasagna soup with broken lasagna noodles simmered until tender, then finished with a melty mozzarella-cheddar cheese layer. Italian-American flavors like crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes make it taste like lasagna in soup form.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 540
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Soup base
  • 1.5 lb ground beef (80/20)
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 garlic, minced
  • 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 4 cup beef broth
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 0.5 tsp dried oregano
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 8 lasagna noodles, broken into pieces
Cheese layer
  • 1.5 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar or American cheese
Ricotta dollop
  • 1 cup ricotta
  • 0.25 cup parmesan
  • basil For dollops, use a small handful chopped or torn.
  • salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown and build the tomato-beef broth
  1. Brown ground beef in a large pot over medium-high heat, then drain fat. Keep the beef in the pot so you can build flavor without extra dishes.
  2. Sauté diced onion for 4 minutes. Add minced garlic and tomato paste, then cook for 2 minutes until fragrant and slightly darkened at the edges.
  3. Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, beef broth, Italian seasoning, dried basil, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes, then bring to a boil. Stir to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom.
Simmer noodles until tender
  1. Add broken lasagna noodles and simmer for 10-12 minutes until tender. Stir occasionally so the noodles don’t stick together.
  2. Reduce heat to low, then stir in shredded mozzarella and cheddar until melted. Move the spoon through the pot until the cheese fully disappears into the soup for a creamy, cohesive texture.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Taste at the end so you can adjust after the cheese melts.
Ricotta dollop and serve
  1. Mix ricotta with parmesan (and basil) until combined for dollops. Add a little basil for a fresh finish.
  2. Serve the soup hot with a generous ricotta dollop on top. Optional: add extra basil for a fresh, green garnish.

Notes

Pro tip: if the soup thickens as it sits, loosen with a splash of beef broth when reheating. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days; reheat gently on the stove until hot. Freezing is not recommended because lasagna noodles can soften too much and cheeses may change texture. For a lighter option, use lean (90/10 or 93/7) ground beef and reduce cheddar to 1/2 cup to cut saturated fat.