Gluten Free Lasagna Soup Recipe that tastes like cozy, cheesy pasta night without the noodle drama? I’ve got you. I pack all the lasagna vibes into one pot, and I keep the noodles gluten-free and perfectly tender. You get a rich, tomatoey broth, lots of Italian herbs, and that swoopy ricotta “cheese cap” on top.
Easy Gluten Free Lasagna Soup Recipe
I built this recipe after too many crumbled GF noodles in traditional lasagna. The soup format fixes that and keeps everything saucy and spoonable. You still get the ricotta, the melty cheese, and the herby sausage flavor, just with less fuss. The whole pot lands on the table in about 35 minutes, which means you beat the weekday clock.
I also love how the broth carries flavor without feeling heavy. You control the heat level, the noodle texture, and the amount of cheese on top. The soup reheats like a champ when you handle the noodles right. I keep the base and noodles separate for meal prep, and my future self thanks me every time.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Soup Base
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound Italian sausage (mild or hot), casings removed (or use ground turkey + 1 teaspoon fennel seeds)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1–2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar or a pinch of sugar, to balance acidity
- 1 bay leaf
- 8–10 gluten-free lasagna noodles, broken into pieces (about 6–7 ounces), or GF mafalda/fusilli
- 2 packed cups baby spinach or chopped kale
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Ricotta Topping
- 1 cup whole-milk ricotta (or dairy-free ricotta)
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella (or dairy-free mozzarella), plus more for serving
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino (or vegan hard-style alternative)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley
- Pinch of salt and black pepper
Serving
- Extra fresh basil, red pepper flakes, and a drizzle of olive oil
- Gluten-free garlic bread or a simple green salad
How to Make Gluten Free Lasagna Soup
- Brown the sausage: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high. Add sausage and break it up until browned with crisp edges, 5–6 minutes. Spoon off excess fat if needed and keep the tasty bits in the pot.
- Build the flavor base: Add onion with a pinch of salt and cook until it softens, 3–4 minutes. Stir in garlic, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, red pepper, and fennel, and cook 1 minute until the paste darkens. Splash in balsamic to deglaze and scrape up the fond.
- Simmer the broth: Pour in crushed tomatoes, broth, and drop in the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then lower to a steady simmer for 10 minutes so the flavors marry. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- Cook the noodles: Add the gluten-free noodles and stir well. Simmer, stirring every couple of minutes, until just al dente per package timing, usually 7–10 minutes. Taste early so you catch that perfect bite.
- Finish the soup: Stir in spinach or kale until it wilts, 1–2 minutes. Pull the bay leaf and check seasoning again. Thin with a splash of broth if you want a looser soup.
- Mix the ricotta topping: Stir ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, basil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Keep it cold so it holds a nice dollop.
- Serve: Ladle soup into bowls and add a generous ricotta dollop. Finish with more mozzarella, fresh basil, black pepper, and a tiny olive oil drizzle.
Pro Tips
- Cook noodles in the soup for same-night serving, but cook them separately for meal prep. You keep leftovers from turning mushy.
- Salt in layers: season the sausage, the onions, and the broth. You get depth without oversalting.
- Break the noodles unevenly for fun texture. Those ruffled edges catch cheese like champs.
- Keep extra broth handy. Gluten-free pasta continues to thicken the soup, and a splash fixes that on the fly.
- Griddle the cheese dollop with a torch or broiler for a melty top if you feel extra. I do it when company comes over.
Substitutions & Variations
- Protein swaps: Use ground turkey or chicken sausage for lighter flavor. Go vegetarian with mushrooms and lentils.
- Dairy-free: Use almond- or cashew-based ricotta and shredded plant-based mozzarella. Add nutritional yeast for extra cheesy notes.
- Low-FODMAP-ish: Use garlic-infused oil and the green parts of scallions. Choose a no-onion, no-garlic marinara and a suitable broth.
- Noodle options: Use gluten-free lasagna sheets, mafalda, or fusilli. Break larger noodles into 2-inch pieces for slurp-friendly bites.
- Extra veg: Stir in zucchini, bell peppers, or chopped spinach. You boost color and texture without extra time.
Serving
Plate a simple arugula salad with lemon and olive oil. The peppery bite balances the rich soup. Toast gluten-free garlic bread or focaccia. Use it to chase the last bits from the bowl. Add a quick antipasto plate with olives, roasted peppers, and marinated artichokes. You turn dinner into a cozy Italian spread. Pour a medium-bodied red like Sangiovese or a sparkling water with lemon. Keep things bright and fresh.
Mistakes to Avoid
Overcooking gluten-free noodles: Add them near the end and taste early. They go from perfect to mush fast.
Dropping noodles in too soon: Let the broth simmer and thicken first, then add noodles so they soak up flavor, not just water.
Skipping the sausage browning: Build that fond on the bottom of the pot. You scrape it up for big flavor.
Forgetting to stir while noodles cook: GF noodles love to stick. Stir a few times so they stay free and happy.
Under-seasoning the ricotta topping: Salt, pepper, and a little Parmesan make the dollop taste like a restaurant finish.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
My gluten-free lasagna soup meal-preps like a pro when I handle the noodles smartly.
Make-Ahead: Cook the soup base without noodles and cool it, or cook the noodles separately and store them plain with a drizzle of oil. Add fresh-cooked noodles to hot soup when serving, or drop pre-cooked noodles into the reheated base for the last 1–2 minutes.
To Refrigerate: Store the soup base in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Keep cooked noodles and ricotta topping in separate containers for best texture.
Freezing: Freeze the soup base without noodles for up to 3 months. Skip freezing the noodles and dairy topping, and add those fresh after thawing.
To Reheat: Warm the base on the stove over medium heat until it simmers, 5–8 minutes. Add cooked noodles to heat through, or boil fresh GF noodles separately and stir them in right before serving.
Gluten Free Lasagna Soup Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a large pot, brown the ground beef over medium heat until fully cooked. Drain excess fat.
- Add diced onion and minced garlic to the pot and sauté until softened.
- Stir in beef broth, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, dried basil, and dried oregano.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add broken gluten free lasagna noodles to the pot and cook until tender, about 10-12 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle soup into bowls and top each serving with a spoonful of ricotta, then sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Serve warm and enjoy.