Chicken Lasagna Soup Recipe From Scratch

Chicken lasagna soup is the weeknight dinner I reach for when I want all the comfort of lasagna without layering a baking dish. Broken lasagna noodles simmer right in the pot with shredded chicken, tomatoes, and Italian seasonings. This recipe takes 45 minutes and tastes like it cooked all day.

Why This Chicken Lasagna Soup Works

Breaking lasagna noodles directly into the broth means no separate pasta pot and no draining. The starch from the noodles thickens the broth naturally as they cook — you get a silkier texture than a broth-pasta soup made with smaller shapes.

Rotisserie chicken keeps the prep fast. It shreds into long, tender strips that look deliberate rather than thrown in. The chicken soaks up the tomato-Italian herb broth while the noodles cook, so every bite has both.

A spoonful of ricotta dolloped on top before serving is the detail that makes this soup feel like actual lasagna. It melts slightly into the hot broth and adds a creamy, milky contrast to the sharp marinara base.

Ingredients

• 1 lb rotisserie chicken, shredded (about 3 cups)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 8 lasagna noodles, broken into thirds
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• Fresh basil for garnish (optional)

What You Need for Chicken Lasagna Soup

Rotisserie chicken — already cooked and seasoned, it cuts the active time to almost nothing. Pull it into long shreds rather than chopping so the pieces hold their shape in the soup. Leftover grilled or baked chicken breast works just as well.

Lasagna noodles — break each sheet into thirds before adding. Thirds cook evenly and stay in recognizable strips — small enough to eat with a spoon, large enough to taste like lasagna. Avoid oven-ready noodles; they turn mushy without the box-required layering method.

Crushed tomatoes — the base of the broth. San Marzano brand gives a sweeter, less acidic flavor. Regular crushed tomatoes work fine with a pinch of sugar to balance.

Tomato paste — two tablespoons concentrate the tomato flavor and add a deeper, roasted note. Stir it in and cook for 1 minute before adding liquid to caramelize slightly.

Ricotta cheese — the finishing touch. Use whole milk ricotta; part-skim is grainier and less creamy when it hits hot soup. One generous spoonful per bowl mimics the ricotta layer in a baked lasagna.

Red pepper flakes — just 1/2 teaspoon adds warmth without heat. Adjust up or down at the end when you taste for seasoning.

How to Make Chicken Lasagna Soup

1. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat.
2. Add diced onion. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden at the edges.
3. Add minced garlic. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Add tomato paste. Stir constantly for 1 minute until it darkens slightly and sticks to the bottom.
5. Pour in crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth. Stir to combine and scrape up any browned bits.
6. Add Italian seasoning, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Stir well.
7. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
8. Add broken lasagna noodles. Reduce heat to medium. Cook for 12 to 14 minutes, stirring frequently, until noodles are tender.
9. Stir in shredded chicken. Cook for 2 minutes until heated through.
10. Add whole milk and stir. Taste and adjust salt and red pepper flakes.
11. Ladle into bowls. Top each bowl with a spoonful of ricotta and a pinch of shredded mozzarella.

Chicken Lasagna Soup Variations

White Chicken Lasagna Soup

Skip the crushed and diced tomatoes. Replace with 2 more cups of chicken broth and 1 cup of heavy cream. Add 1 can of drained cannellini beans and 2 cups of fresh spinach at the end. The white version is milder and richer — more Alfredo than marinara.

Tuscan Chicken Lasagna Soup

Add 1/2 cup of sun-dried tomatoes (drained and chopped) and 2 cups of baby spinach in the last 5 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup of cream cheese for richness. The sun-dried tomatoes give a concentrated, sweet-tangy flavor that reads as distinctly Tuscan.

Spicy Arrabbiata Version

Double the red pepper flakes to 1 teaspoon and add 1/2 teaspoon of calabrian chili paste with the tomatoes. The heat builds slowly and pairs well with the creamy ricotta on top.

Slow Cooker Method

Combine onion, garlic, tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, spices, and chicken in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. Add broken noodles in the last 30 minutes on high with the lid on. Stir in milk and top with ricotta at serving.

Sausage Swap

Replace the rotisserie chicken with 1 lb of Italian sausage, casings removed. Brown the sausage first in the pot, drain the fat, then build the soup in the same pot. The sausage renders into the broth and makes it richer and slightly spicy without extra seasoning.

Tips for the Best Chicken Lasagna Soup

• I stir the noodles every 2 to 3 minutes while they cook — they stick to the bottom if left alone in the tomato broth.
• Break noodles into thirds rather than smaller pieces so they hold a lasagna-like texture in the bowl.
• Add the chicken last so it stays tender instead of getting tough from extended cooking.
• The soup thickens as it sits — if reheating, add a splash of broth to loosen it back to the right consistency.
• Let the ricotta sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving — it melts more smoothly into hot soup that way.
• A light drizzle of olive oil over the finished bowl adds gloss and richness.

Make Ahead & Storage

This chicken lasagna soup keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days. The noodles continue to absorb broth as it sits, so the soup thickens considerably by day two. Add a cup of chicken broth when reheating and stir over medium heat until loosened.

To freeze without soggy noodles, make the soup base without the lasagna noodles and freeze that portion for up to 3 months. Cook fresh noodles directly in the thawed broth when reheating. If you freeze the finished soup with noodles, expect a mushier texture — still flavorful, just softer.

Common Questions

Can I use regular pasta instead of lasagna noodles?

Yes. Pappardelle, fettuccine, or wide egg noodles give a similar broad-noodle texture. Smaller pasta shapes like rigatoni or rotini work but the soup loses the lasagna character. Adjust cook time based on the pasta package instructions.

Do I need to cook the noodles separately first?

No. The noodles cook directly in the soup broth. This keeps them starchy so they thicken the soup as they cook. Cooking them separately and rinsing would remove that starch and thin the broth.

How do I make this soup creamier?

Stir in 1/4 cup of heavy cream or cream cheese at the end after the heat is reduced to low. The cream cheese needs 2 to 3 minutes of gentle stirring to fully melt into the broth. Do not boil after adding cream or it may curdle.

Can I use ground chicken instead of rotisserie?

Yes. Brown 1 lb of ground chicken in the pot first, breaking it up finely, then drain excess fat and build the soup from there. Ground chicken gives a more uniform texture throughout the broth rather than distinct shredded pieces.

Why do my lasagna noodles clump together?

Stir the soup every 2 to 3 minutes while the noodles cook. They release starch in the first few minutes and stick if left alone. A drizzle of olive oil in the broth also helps keep them separate.

This chicken lasagna soup from scratch is the fastest way to get lasagna on the table on a busy weeknight. Save this recipe and try the white chicken version too — both are worth bookmarking.