This Lasagna Soup is made with ground chicken, a rich tomato sauce, and broken lasagna noodles simmered right in the pot, finished with a dollop of ricotta and a sprinkle of mozzarella. It’s everything you like about lasagna, without the layering or the baking time.

I make a big pot of this on weeknights when lasagna sounds good but I don’t have an hour to build one. It also reheats well, which makes it a good one for meal prep. I like serving this next to a One Pot Beef and Chickpea Stew or Bean and Vegetable Stew for a couple of hearty soup options.

If you like hearty, tomato-based soups like this one, these are worth trying too:

Chicken Lasagna Soup with Tomato Sauce and Ground Chicken

Ingredients You’ll Need

Breaking the lasagna noodles into smaller pieces before adding them to the pot makes this much easier to eat with a spoon. Ground chicken is leaner than the ground beef you’d find in a traditional lasagna, so a little extra olive oil helps keep the soup from tasting flat.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground chicken
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
6 cups chicken broth
6 lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch pieces
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add the ground chicken and cook, breaking it apart with a spoon, until browned, about 6 to 7 minutes.
Add the onion and carrots and cook for another 5 minutes, until softened.
Stir in the garlic and tomato paste, cooking for about a minute until fragrant.
The tomato paste deepens in color as it cooks, which builds more flavor into the base.
Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, and basil, stirring to combine.
Pour in the chicken broth and bring the pot to a boil.
Add the broken lasagna noodles and reduce the heat to a simmer.
Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender.
Check the noodles for doneness around the 10-minute mark – they should be tender but not mushy.
This one takes a bit of watching near the end, just so you know, since broken noodle pieces can overcook faster than whole ones.
Season the soup with salt and pepper.
Ladle the soup into bowls.
Top each bowl with a dollop of ricotta and a sprinkle of shredded mozzarella.
Let it sit for a minute so the cheese softens into the hot soup.
Serve hot and enjoy!

Important Recipe Notes

Break the noodles into small pieces. About 2-inch pieces are easiest to eat with a spoon, and they cook more evenly than trying to fit whole noodles into a pot of soup.
Don’t overcook the noodles. Broken pieces cook faster than whole noodles, so start checking a couple of minutes before the package time is up.
Cook the tomato paste briefly before adding the crushed tomatoes. This deepens its flavor and takes away the raw, tinny taste it has straight from the can.
Add the ricotta and mozzarella to individual bowls, not to the whole pot. Adding cheese directly to a big pot of soup can make it clump instead of melting smoothly.
Store the soup and noodles separately if possible for leftovers, since the noodles keep absorbing liquid and can turn mushy after a day or two.
This freezes well without the noodles. Freeze the soup base for up to 3 months and cook fresh noodles to add in after reheating.

How to Serve, Store & Customize This Recipe

Serving: Serve hot, topped with a dollop of ricotta and a sprinkle of mozzarella, with crusty bread on the side for dipping. A little fresh basil on top adds a nice finishing touch.

Storing: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The noodles will absorb more broth overnight, so add extra when reheating, or store the noodles separately if you can.

Customizing: Swap the ground chicken for ground beef or Italian sausage, or stir in a handful of baby spinach at the end for extra greens. A pinch of red pepper flakes adds some warmth if you want it spicier.