Is an Instant Pot good for making soup?

Sometimes that's great, infusing our home with delicious smells and warmth, but a lot of the time, we're craving soup NOW. Enter: the Instant Pot. It can make delicious, hands-off soup, usually in just under an hour . Check out our best Instant Pot soups, stews, and chilis—you'll be feeling all warm and cozy in no time.

Should you drain meat for lasagna?

If you cook the lasagna with raw meat, any rendered fat will be in the lasagna. Greasy lasagna is as gross as raw lasagna. Typically, you brown the ground beef, drain the excess fat and then turn it into meat sauce, which you use to make the lasagna.

Is it better to slow cook or pressure cook soup?

Yes, if you are using meat and dried beans and/or lentils as the pressure cooker cuts down on cooking time dramatically! For other soup vegetables not so much unless you're in a hurry, when it would speed things up. Otherwise the slow cooker is a better option for long slow cooking .

Do Italians put meat in their lasagna?

In southern Italy lasagna is generally made with dried sheets of pasta layered with rich meat ragú, ricotta and mozzarella . In the north, especially in Bologna, the most popular version of lasagna features fresh egg pasta colored green with spinach and layered with ragú, bechamel and Parmigiano Reggiano.

Should lasagna sauce be thick or runny?

So, to achieve the perfect lasagna, the consistency of the sauce is absolutely essential. Both the ragù and béchamel sauce should be dense and creamy . Avoid sauces that are too liquid and slide to the bottom of the dish. A thicker consistency of the sauce will allow the pasta to be flavoured in the best possible way.

Why does lasagna get soupy?

Watery tomatoes aren't the only culprit for soupy lasagna: Oils from cheese and meat and water from lasagna noodles and vegetables can affect your lasagna's consistency. Draining excess fat from ground beef or sausage before adding it to tomato sauce is imperative to maintain a thick sauce.

Do you drain meat before adding pasta sauce?

You don't have to, it's more of a preference . If you don't your sauce will have more grease in it. If you drain it, then it won't. I don't bother draining for things like sauces, but when I make ground beef taco meat I drain it because otherwise the tacos are too drippy and greasy.

Should you drain meat before cooking?

While it's fine to get rid of some excess grease, you always want to keep some of it in the pan . If you rinse away all the grease, you're literally rinsing away flavor, and your beef will end up dry. Find out if draining and rinsing meat reduces the fat content.

Do you drain meat for pasta?

After adding the seasonings, it's important to drain any excess fat from the ground beef . Tilt the skillet or pot and use a spoon to remove the accumulated fat. By doing this, you ensure that your spaghetti sauce won't become overly greasy and that the flavors stay balanced.

Are you supposed to drain meat?

Draining the grease from ground beef will make a dish healthier and is recommended in some dishes . To drain the grease from ground beef, you'll have to brown the meat first to extract the fat from it. Then, you can spoon the grease out of the pan or use a colander to drain the grease.

Instant Pot Lasagna Soup - The Recipe Well (2024)

Home » Soups and Stews » Instant Pot Lasagna Soup

ByLaura Lawless, BASc PublishedJanuary 21, 2020August 27, 2023 Last updatedAugust 27, 2023

140 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read our full disclosure statement.

↓ Jump to Recipe

Instant Pot Lasagna Soup is the ultimate comfort food. Made with ground beef or turkey and three different types of cheese, this mouthwatering soup is a crowd pleaser!

Instant Pot Lasagna Soup - The Recipe Well (1)

Hello, winter comfort food! This Instant Pot Lasagna Soup does not disappoint. If you love lasagna, but don’t have the patience to make and assemble all the layers, this soup is for you. You can serve it as a side, but it holds its own as a main dish. Make a green salad while the soup is pressure cooking and boom: dinner is served.

Become an Instant Pot Pro!

Get my top 5 tips for successful Instant Pot meals, every time.

By signing up you'll also receive our free newsletter.

This soup is

comforting
cheesy
flavourful
satisfying
crowd pleasing
…basically a deconstructed lasagna

I think you’ll love it as much as we do.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make it. Be sure to look at the recipe card below for exact quantities and detailed instructions.

Ground beef or turkey – 1 to 1.5 pounds
Olive oil – for sautéing the meat, if necessary
Onion
Garlic
Broth – chicken or vegetable
Marinara sauce – your favourite variety
Diced tomatoes
Dried herbs: basil, parsley, onion powder, oregano, rosemary
Lasagna noodles – broken into bite-size pieces. I tested with regular and oven-ready noodles and both worked.
Balsamic vinegar – added to enhance the flavour
Ricotta – full fat or light, either will work!
Parmesan – grated
Mozzarella – grated
Salt and pepper – to taste
Fresh parsley – optional garnish

Instant Pot Lasagna Soup - The Recipe Well (2)

How to make it

1. Turn on the Sauté function on the Instant Pot. Heat the olive oil, if using, and add the ground beef. Sauté the beef, while breaking it into smaller pieces, until cooked through and no longer pink. This will take about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the excess oil, if needed. (You can use tongs and paper towel to soak up the excess oil, rather than removing the insert to drain it.) Add the onion and garlic and continue to sauté until starting to soften. Turn off the sauté function.

2. Add a small amount of broth and deglaze the bottom of the insert (using a spatula, scrape up anything stuck to the bottom). Add the remaining broth, marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, and the dried herbs. Add the broken lasagna noodles and push them into the broth until just submerged (do not stir). Put the lid on the Instant Pot, seal the lid and cook for 6 minutes on Manual high pressure. It will take about 20 minutes to come to pressure.

Instant Pot Lasagna Soup - The Recipe Well (3)

3. At the end of pressure cooking time, quick release the pressure, then stir in the balsamic vinegar, ricotta and parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle mozzarella on top of the soup, then set the lid askew over top of the pot. Allow the cheese to melt a few minutes, then serve.

Instant Pot Lasagna Soup - The Recipe Well (4)

Tips for Success

Avoid a burn warning

Be sure to deglaze the insert. After sautéing the beef and onion, pour in a bit of broth and use a wooden or plastic spatula to scrape up any bits that are stuck to the bottom.
Add ingredients in the order given. Be sure you add the broth before the tomatoes. Tomatoes are thicker and can cause a burn warning if they’re right on the bottom.
Do not mix the lasagna noodles to the bottom. Add them last and only push them into the liquid until just submerged. Pasta can cause a burn warning if right at the bottom.

Instant Pot Lasagna Soup - The Recipe Well (5)

Reheating

For best results, reheat leftovers in a pot on the stove top.
You may want to add some more broth when you reheat any leftovers. The noodles will soak up a lot of the liquid when the soup is stored in the refrigerator.

Variations

For an even heartier texture (to be like “lazy lasagna”), you can add a couple more broken lasagna noodles (10 total). My husband actually prefers it this way.
If you feel the need for some more colour in the dish, it’s great with a few handfuls of baby spinach stirred in with the ricotta after pressure cooking.
Add an extra cup of broth after pressure cooking if you prefer a higher liquid to noodle ratio. I like to add it after cooking, because adding it beforehand increases the time it takes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure.
For a lightened up version, use ground turkey and don’t stir in the ricotta or top it with mozzarella. Each person can garnish their own bowl with cheese and control the amount they add.

Instant Pot Lasagna Soup - The Recipe Well (6)

More Instant Pot Soups

Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup
Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana (Dairy Free!)
Instant Pot Pesto Vegetable Soup
Instant Pot Golden Cauliflower Soup
Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
Instant Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup
Instant Pot Lentil Soup

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a review below! You can alsosubscribe to my newsletter and follow on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to see the latest recipes and meal inspiration!