It seems like whenever I make spaghetti, I always end up with a cup or two of sauce left. Seeing as how spaghetti is one of my favorite meals, its only fitting that leftover spaghetti sauce be recycled into another one of my favorite meals, Spaghetti Lover’s Soup. This dish is quick and easy to throw together, hearty, aromatic, and absolutely delicious from start to finish. Reminiscent of an Italian Chili, I’ve never met a soul who didn’t love it.
Using leftover spaghetti sauce really stretches the dollars here in that there is no need to add additional meat. if you like though, you can substitute a can of sauce for the leftover and either add some cooked ground beef make it meatless for any vegetarians in your life. See? This really does please everyone!
You’ll need: 2 cans kidney beans (or your favorite bean!), two cans diced tomatoes, two carrots, one stalk celery, leftover spaghetti sauce, and some dry spaghetti.
If you don’t have celery on hand just leave it out. Your sauce is seasoned enough anyway. This is really a great recipe to just use what is on hand. Last time I made it I only had a large can of baked beans. I rinsed them in a strainer and put them in and it was delicious.
Begin by peeling and chopping your carrots and dicing your celery.
You know, bake when I used to travel and do tv all the time, my handlers used to always be on me about saying “your” celery and “your carrots”. I got really good about saying “the” celery and “the carrots”. But I’m the boss of me now and honestly, how awkward would it be if you were chopping other people’s vegetables in your own kitchen? 😜
Dump tomatoes, beans, and spaghetti sauce in a large pot. Its best not to wear a brand new white shirt when doing this if you have the same amount of grace that I do when “dumping”.
Whenever a recipe calls for two cans of kidney beans, I always get one can of light and one can of dark just to give it a bit more color variety.
Add water
Add in chopped veggies. Stir those in.
I LOVE how the carrots taste in this. If you are a carrot person, feel free to double this amount. Spaghetti Lover’s Soup is a great recipe to veggie up!
I like to add a bit more Italian seasoning but you don’t have to.
I love me some Italian seasoning! I’ll know I’ve had enough when my skin turns green and I begin to smell like Oregano.
Until then, I ain’t a stoppin’!
Bring that to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer until carrots and celery are tender.
While that is cooking, break up your spaghetti noodles into about one or two inch pieces.
Of course you can substitute any old pasts for this. Whatever cranks your tractor.
Once your veggies are tender, add in your spaghetti and continue cooking until noodles are done.
I would like for you to feed this to your family but at this point the smell might have you eating the entire pot of Spaghetti Lover’s Soup yourself!
I hope you get to try this one soon. It’s sure to be a homerun with the spaghetti lovers in your life!
Ingredients
- 2 cups spaghetti sauce
- 1 cup cooked ground beef Optional, I just use leftover prepared spaghetti sauce that I've already added meat to.
- 2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes undrained
- 2 15 oz cans kidney beans undrained
- 2 large carrots
- 1 stalk celery optional
- dry spaghetti noodles I use enough to make spaghetti for one person
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning optional
Instructions
- In a large pot, place sauce, beef (if using), tomatoes, kidney beans, and water into pot. Peel and chop carrots and dice celery, add to pot. Add seasoning if desired.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce heat, simmering until vegetables are tender. Break spaghetti noodles into one or two inch segments and add these as well. Continue cooking until pasta is tender.
This recipe featured in Meal Plan Monday and Weekend Potluck!
Yum 
this looks like a good and hearty soup. serve it with garlic cheese bread and yum yum. thanks for all of your hard work.
Hey Tracy, thank you so much.
It really is hearty, very filling.
Oh now you have me wanting garlic cheese bread!!!!! ~mouth drops~
Thank you for all of your kindness and for taking the time to always comment. I look forward to them so much!
Gratefully,
Christy 🙂
I freeze left over spaghetti sauce. I put it in the freezer without the lid and when it is frozen I put the lid back on so it will not freezer burn. My bunch will not eat homemade they will only eat Ragu with Mushrooms old style.
Was happy to find a recipe to use my leftover spaghetti with sauce 😉 I tweaked it, used cannelli beans and red kidney beans for my variant 🙂 already had the veggies plus in mine so was a simple heat to eat. Easy rainy day save for leftovers.
I am so glad you liked it!!
‘K…so when I make spaghetti, I mix the sauce and the noodles in the pot and serve…do you think that I could just tump that into the pot with the rest of the ingredients and it turn out ok?? I may try it anyway as I have some leftover spaghetti…I’ll try tomorrow night, because like you I like to wait a night and I’ll let you know how it turns out.
PS…I did try your mexican pizza and it was a hit with Hubby, and again you were right as it is very filling!!
Hey! That would work just fine! The noodles will be a little more done but they always are in soup anyway!!!
YAY!! So glad you tried the pizza and DOUBLY glad they liked it!!!
you know, my blog makes me hungry
lol
Thank you!!!!!
Christy 🙂
I make something a little like this but no beans- instead, green pepper (or red), mushrooms, maybe black olives. Now, I have to look for your Mexican pizza recipe!
I’m absolutely going to make this soup, what a wonderful recipe. Now those really awesome breadsticks in the picture? Need the recipe for those! Much love!
This looks really similar to Olive Garden’s pasta e fagoli. My recipe for that makes such a large amount I don’t make it often.
Now I am a pasta Fagoli lover myself and this really is very similar to it. I also make it at home but like you, don’t need such a large quantity and it isn’t the easiest recipe to tone down. This is a lot less fuss, too.
Wow, are we on the very same wavelength or what?
Oh now i want to make some spaghetti so I can make this soup!! LOL I always have left over sauce that goes in the trash at some point!!
Me too! I try to use it up but..you know how that is!
I also like to toast a piece of french bread and slather it with leftover sauce for lunch!
Thank you so much!! let me know if you get to try it!!!
Gratefully,
Christy
Looks good, but I never have any leftover spaghetti sauce! 😉 One jar is just perfect for me and hubby.
hehe, y’all sound like a perfect waste not want not couple!!
I have (and always have had) a tendency to overcook. I think its the ingrained thing of always having enough should company drop by.
I envy your efficiency!!!
Gratefully,
Christy 🙂
P.S. I’ll share my leftover sauce 🙂
Mmm, this is one I’ll definitely have to try. So cheap and so delicious looking!
Thank you, Stephanie!! hope you’re having a great week!!
Have this cooking on the stove right now! Smells delicious! I didn’t have celery but threw in some chopped up zucchini. Also only had one can of kidney beans on hand but had a little leftover butter beans so I tossed them in too! Making some garlic cheese bread to serve with. Went looking for ways to make soup from leftover spaghetti sauce and came across this. So glad I did. Got to make those food budget dollars stretch! Thanks so much for the recipe!
I hope you enjoy it Martha, thank you so much for giving it a try!!!
It was so good! Even my very picky husband enjoyed it! Thanks again!
That looks good. I love soups with pasta in them and might have to try this during one of our rainy days coming up in the next week or so…
ooh me too. Come to think of it, I think I love everything that you love! lol
I think we may differ on water chestnuts.
What, no onion?
Got to add onion.
hehe, everyone in my family (other than myself) was dropped on their heads as children. I have to sneak my onion in when I do. My sauce was already seasoned with it but you are right, adding addition to the soup is a home run.
If it were just me, there would be a spoonful of onion in every spoonful! lol
Gratefully,
Christy 🙂
What a great idea for that left over sauce! I will try this for sure!
Thank you so much!! Let me know how you like it!!
Gratefully,
Christy 🙂
O this looks just yummy! And all my favorite Veggies too… A great way to get DH to eat some veggies too…
you know what is funny? My husband picks out the veggies so he doesn’t have to eat as many and i pick them out so i can eat more!
Classical tale of jack spratt I suppose….
Now I can’t wait to make spaghetti so I can make this soup. I LOVE so many of your recipes! You have gotten me excited about cooking again.
oh Tamara, thank you so much!!! That made my heart melt and now my cheeks are hurting from smiling. Thank you thank you thank you, you’ve made my day.
Let me know how you like it if you get a chance!!!
PLEASE have a week as wonderful as you are!
Gratefully,
Christy 🙂
This sounds like a good warmin’ comfort food. We’re gettin’ some cold weather the next few days so we’ll need somethin’ like this, thanks.
Hey Rebel!!
and what is up with this cold weather? Do you know who we need to talk to about this?
Yesterday it was actually hot! I have worn shorts all week and then today I step outside and BRRRRR.
you know what? I put on my shorts anyway and strutted around all day in denial! lol
I’ll wear shorts the rest of the week too and I bet you I’ll bring back the warm weather out of pure spite!!!!
Just watch and wait….I’m doing this for all of us!!!
Gratefully,
Christy 🙂
Well, thinking about the weather changes always reminds me who’s in charge
Amen!
Thanks Christy! I just cleaned my refrigerator and guess what I found, leftover sauce. So tomorrow will be Christy’s Spaghetti Soup.
Hey Linda!! Let me know how you liked it!!!
You know though, I could just about eat spaghetti sauce straight from the fridge. Hope you’re not like me and end up with some for the soup! hehehee
Gratefully,
Christy 🙂
Sounds great!
Thank you, Mary!
Thanks Christy for this soup recipe.
I always have left over spaghetti sauce. Usually add it to fresh after freezing it, or use it to make home made pizza. Looks like I’ll be making a little extra next time, so I can try out this soup recipe.
Keep on cooking
Linda in Louisiana 🙂
Hey Linda! I love Spaghetti sauce on pizza’s too! Do you make your own crust?
I never thought to make soup with leftover spaghetti sauce–what a concept. I have one daughter who is an Italian food nut and I know she will love this–I’ll have to make it for her soon. Thanks for the idea. Sheila
hey Sheila! thank you so much!
It really does make for an awesome body to the soup, I hope she loves it as much as I do! She’s got a great Mama to make it for her!
Gratefully,
Christy 🙂
Hey do you drain the beans or pour them right in with the juice?
I pour ’em right in! When in doubt, do it the lazy way. 🙂 The beans have a thick juice so we can say we are doing it to give our soup more “body”! hehe
Made this yummy meal for dinner tonight and it was a big hit! The hubs and the picky princess even liked it as well as the mother-in-law (had to share the love!!). My only disappointment is that I thought I would have enough to freeze for another meal, but we ate so much that we will barely have enough for lunch!!
Thanks so much for sharing this great recipe!!!
P.S. Learned that less is more when it comes to the noodles. I used corkscrew noodles and really used too much! I can never get the amount right!!!
P.S.S. I drained the beans and in the end had to add some water and chicken broth. Should I not drain the beans next time??
Christy,
Is this soup something that I could throw in the crockpot for convenience?
Thanks!
Krista
I made this last week and will be linking to you in my post tomorrow. It was yum-yum-yummy!! We’ll definitely be seeing this on the menu plan again! Thanks, Christy!
I had this for dinner tonight. It was delicious. You know the temps dropped below 70 here in Florida for the next few days. What a chill it brought and I’m loving it.
My Husband makes Meatball Madness a couple times a month and we always have so much leftover sauce… He makes homemade sauce and changes it up all the time. I am so excited to try this out right now with the leftover sauce!! Yay!!! It looks YUMMY! We have a snow day so the kids are playing in the snow and will be ice cubes later, this will be sure to warm them up! Thank you!!!
Love this recipe! I added Italian sausage & it was wonderful! Thanks.
I love carrots in spaghetti sauce, and in this “soup” it makes even more sense! Since my family is a little finicky about celery and onions, I usually blend those til they’re ‘liquidy’ – the family doesn’t even notice, and it adds so much flavor!
This soup sounds healthy and diet friendly, provided that I go easy on the pasta. Can’t wait to try it!
Let me know what you think Laura. I hope you enjoy it!
Why is every trending topic have todo w/Justin Bieber? Can’t hate tho.. I love that munchkin as much as every twenty-something girl does lol
ooooooooooooooooooo, I may have to try this.. YUM! We never end up with extra sauce.. but rather dry spaghetti when you try to reheat it.. So my mom taught me to throw in a can of tomato soup, tomato paste, and 3 cups of water.. to make Spaghetti soup! YUM! though it took me two years of making it for the kids, before I’d actually try it..lol
Oh my, I can’t wait to try this one! At first I thought left over spaghetti soup?! LOL Love the Italian seasoning too. Will definitely add it.
I’m thinking this is one even my grand kids will enjoy!
Blessings to you Christy!
Love this recipe! And I agree with you on the waiting a day or two before having something left over or incorporating it into something else…but Bro thinks I’m being rediculous, LOL!! He feels if I would use them the next day, if not the very next meal, there would be less containers in the fridge, ect. But the only time he has to get in the refrigerator is to get his pop…uh, er, ‘soda’ so I don’t think he has a great case! LOL The things we ‘bicker’ about…~shaking head as I type~
I made this tonight and it was good. I used two cans of pork and beans (rinsed), beef broth instead of water and skipped the celery because I was out. The sauce I got from the freezer and there’s plenty of soup left over so I’m going to get even MORE meals out of it. Thanks for the recipe!
Yay! Thank you so much for telling us how you switched it up! Always great to have more ideas!!
Gratefully
Christy