Creamy Lasagna Soup
This Creamy Lasagna Soup has all the classic flavors of traditional lasagna. It is made with savory ground beef, tender noodles, rich tomato broth, and plenty of melted cheese.
Ingredients
Ricotta Cheese Mixture
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- ½ cup fresh chopped parsley
- 2-3 fresh chopped basil leaves
- Salt & black pepper to taste
Soup
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup white or yellow onion, chopped (about ½ medium-sized onion)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb lean ground beef*
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 24 oz marinara sauce**
- 2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp dry basil
- 1 tsp dry parsley
- 1 tsp dry oregano
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (Optional)
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock
- 6-8 lasagna noodles broken into small pieces (about ½ lb)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Salt & black pepper to taste
- Fresh chopped basil for garnishing
Instructions
Make the ricotta cheese mixture:
- In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, Parmesan, and mozzarella cheeses with the fresh parsley and basil leaves, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until right before serving the soup.
Make the soup:
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 3-5 minutes. Incorporate the Italian seasoning, dry basil, dry parsley, dry oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes (if using) and mix well. Toss in the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the ground beef to the pot and cook until browned. Remove any rendered fat. Make a well in the center, add the tomato paste, and cook it for a couple of minutes (this caramelizes it and deepens the flavor). Stir it with the browned beef, and season with salt and pepper.
- Pour in the marinara sauce and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, then add the lasagna noodles and cook over medium-low heat until the noodles are tender (about 10-15 minutes).
- Once the noodles are soft, you can add the heavy cream, a few dollops of the ricotta cheese mixture, a few fresh basil leaves, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir to blend the ricotta cheese into the soup.
- Serve each bowl of soup with more ricotta cheese and garnish with fresh basil.
Notes
- * You can use 1 lb of lean ground beef, 1 lb Italian sausage, or a combination of both. To make a lighter version, use ground chicken or turkey. If using Italian sausage, you can omit the olive oil since the sausage should render enough fat to cook the chopped onion.
- ** Use your favorite store-bought or homemade marinara or pasta sauce.
- For the pasta, you can use lasagna noodles or any small pasta you prefer.
- To make this soup ahead of time, make the soup without adding the noodles and store it in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, bring the soup to a boil, add the noodles, and cook them until tender before serving. You can also cook the pasta separately and add it to the reheated soup.
- Store leftover soup in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. It is best to remove the noodles before refrigerating any leftovers, since the pasta tends to soak up most of the soup.
- Freeze lasagna soup for up to 3 months.
Nutritional values are approximate and calculated per serving.
Nutrition
Calories: 438kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 90mg, Sodium: 869mg, Potassium: 848mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1374IU, Vitamin C: 14mg, Calcium: 324mg, Iron: 4mg
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