30-Minute Beef Broth and Noodle Lasagna Soup

Name: 30-Minute Beef Broth and Noodle Lasagna Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 lb (450 g) ground beef (85/15 blend); 1 medium (150 g) yellow onion, finely diced; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 6 cups (1420 ml) beef broth (low-sodium); 1 can (14.5 oz) (410 g) canned diced tomatoes (with juices); 2 tbsp (30 g) tomato paste; 4 oz (115 g) dried lasagna noodles, broken into 1- to 2-inch pieces; 3 cups (85 g) fresh spinach (loosely packed), roughly chopped; 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning; to taste kosher salt; to taste freshly ground black pepper; ½ cup (50 g) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated (optional); pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A quick, comforting Italian-American soup that captures the essence of lasagna in a bowl. Ground beef simmers in beef broth with broken lasagna noodles, tomatoes, and fresh spinach, ready in just 30 minutes. This weeknight favorite is hearty enough for dinner and light enough to feel like a proper soup.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 30 min
Makes: 4 servings (about 10 cups)

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Steps

Before you start

Break lasagna noodles into 1- to 2-inch pieces before starting
Have beef broth at hand—homemade or store-bought work equally well
Roughly chop spinach so it wilts evenly into the broth

1
Brown the beef
- Heat a large 6-quart pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, for 5–6 minutes until no pink remains and the meat reaches an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C).
- If excess fat pools in the pot, spoon it out or drain through a colander and return the meat to the pot.
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Ready when: Ground beef is fully cooked with no pink, lightly browned, and reaches 160°F (71°C) internally
Tip: Don't stir constantly; let the meat sit for 1–2 minutes between stirs so it browns rather than steams.
2
Sauté aromatics
- Add the diced onion to the pot and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Do not let the garlic brown.
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Ready when: Onion is translucent and soft, garlic is light golden and fragrant
Tip: Lower heat to medium if the garlic starts to brown—burnt garlic will taste bitter.
3
Build the broth
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, to caramelize it slightly and deepen the flavor.
- Then add the beef broth, diced tomatoes with their juices, and Italian seasoning.
- Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium.
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Ready when: Broth reaches a gentle boil with small bubbles breaking the surface
Tip: Cook the tomato paste briefly to remove the raw taste; this step takes just a minute but makes a noticeable difference.
4
Add noodles and simmer
- Add the broken lasagna noodles to the simmering broth and stir well so they are fully submerged.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender but still have a slight bite.
- The soup will continue to thicken as the noodles cook.
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Ready when: Noodles are al dente, soup thickens slightly
Tip: Stir every 2–3 minutes to prevent the noodles from sticking to the bottom of the pot or clumping together.
5
Wilt the spinach
- Add the roughly chopped spinach to the pot in two batches, stirring until the first batch wilts before adding the second.
- Cook for 1–2 minutes until all spinach is dark green and fully wilted into the broth.
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Ready when: All spinach is dark green and fully wilted, no raw leaves remain
Tip: Adding spinach in batches ensures it wilts evenly and stays tender rather than overcooked.
6
Season and taste
- Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes if desired for gentle heat.
- Stir well and simmer for 1 more minute to let the seasonings distribute.
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Ready when: Soup is well-seasoned and flavors are balanced
Tip: Taste with a clean spoon and add salt gradually—you can always add more, but you cannot remove it.
7
Serve hot
- Ladle the soup into bowls.
- Top each serving with a generous handful of finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese if desired.
- Serve immediately while steaming hot.
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Tip: Grating fresh Parmesan over hot soup melts it slightly and adds a luxurious finishing touch.

Good to know

Tips

For a richer soup, use beef broth made from bone broth rather than store-bought low-sodium varieties.
If you like your soup brothier, add an extra 1–2 cups of beef broth after the noodles have softened.
This soup is a wonderful way to use up odd pieces of dried pasta or leftover lasagna noodles.
Serve with warm crusty bread or garlic bread on the side to soak up the delicious broth.

Storage & reheating

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium heat, adding a splash of beef broth if the soup has thickened. Do not freeze—the noodles become mushy upon thawing. Consume within 3 days for best quality.

Substitutions

fresh spinach (loosely packed) → Fresh kale (stems removed and roughly chopped) or Swiss chard. Kale and chard take slightly longer to wilt (2–3 minutes) and have a more robust flavor; add them at the same point in cooking.
dried lasagna noodles → Broken egg noodles, small pasta shells, or ditalini. These cook faster (5–7 minutes), so add them later in the simmering time to avoid mushiness.
ground beef (85/15 blend) → Ground Italian sausage (sweet or spicy) or ground turkey. Sausage will add more seasoning; turkey is leaner but may need a touch more salt to compensate.
beef broth (low-sodium) → Chicken broth or vegetable broth. Chicken broth is lighter and works well; vegetable broth makes the soup vegetarian. Use the same volume and adjust salt as needed.