Creamy Lasagna Soup

By Toni Chapman

Updated January 21, 2026

  • Andrew Bui for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Kaitlin Wayne.
Media 1 of 1
Ready In
55 min
Rating
5(2,151)
Comments
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Zesty with sage and citrus, this cozy soup brings together some of the best parts of a creamy white lasagna: Browned Italian sausage, sautéed mushrooms and a touch of cream all simmer with broken lasagna noodles until tender. A squeeze of lemon at the end brightens everything. (Watch Toni make this recipe on Instagram.)

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 1 pound Italian sausage (mild or hot), casings removed

  • 8 ounces sliced or whole button mushrooms, roughly chopped 

  • 1 small onion (any kind), diced

  • 5 garlic cloves, minced

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), divided

  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper 

  • 6 cups chicken broth

  • 6 lasagna noodles, broken into small to medium pieces (see Tip)

  • 1 cup heavy cream

  • ½ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

  • 1 ½ cups baby spinach

  • 1 lemon, zested then cut into wedges, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

31 grams carbs; 113 milligrams cholesterol; 582 calories; 14 grams monosaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 39 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 3 grams fiber; 1060 milligrams sodium; 26 grams protein; 8 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it into small pieces, until browned and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a bowl and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pot.

  2. Step 2

    Add the mushrooms to the pot and cook undisturbed for a few minutes, then continue cooking, stirring and scraping occasionally, until deeply browned, 4 to 5 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Stir in the onion, garlic and sage. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and the red pepper. Cook until the onion softens and the mixture is fragrant, about 3 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a gentle boil. Stir in the broken lasagna noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 7 to 8 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan. Return the cooked sausage to the pot and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to warm through. Reduce the heat to low. Add the spinach and cook just until wilted. Season with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. 

  6. Step 6

    To serve, ladle into bowls. Finish each with a little lemon zest, a couple squeezes of lemon juice and more Parmesan.

Tip

  • If your lasagna noodles are on the small side, you can use up to 8 noodles if desired.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
2,151 user ratings
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Comments

Sonya

I can never make a creamy soup without adding a blended can of white beans. Immersion blender makes it easy. Protein, fiber, hearty creaminess in a $1.20 can! I highly recommend trying it.

Bill

I'm thinking that mafaldine pasta could be substituted for the broken lasagna sheets.

Rachel

I only did two minor modifications. I used oriechette out of a personal preference, and I left the spinach out of the cooking, as I will be having this as leftovers and I can't stand how slimy spinach gets in leftover soup. I put a generous fistful of spinach on the bottom of the soup bowl and let the heat from the hot soup cook it. Loved it! Don't skimp on the lemon zest and lemon squeeze when serving.

JC

I made this soup tonight, but I took some liberties. Used 1.5 lbs of sausage, and doubled the mushrooms. Instead of heavy cream and grated parm, I used half and half and added a parm rind at the boiling stage. Used 8oz of cheese tortellini instead of pasta. In addition to sage, added oregano and thyme. Got one of those spinach containers from the salad section and added the entire contents. A delicious variation on a theme. Don't skip the lemon when serving!

Raymond

Here’s a cleaner version that keeps your personality: A good weeknight dish. I substituted 8 ounces of De Cecco Mezzi Rigatoni #26 for the lasagna noodles and added fennel seed to the bulk Whole Foods Italian sausage. Italian sausage isn’t Italian sausage without fennel. I also tossed in a rind of Parmigiano Reggiano when I added the stock, along with some MSG. Finally, I prefer a soup that’s hearty rather than brothy, so I thickened it with a cornstarch slurry.

CJS

I subbed half and half for the heavy cream and used Beyond Meat. Worked well! Delicious.

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