Lasagna Soup with Herby Ricotta
Last Updated on January 1, 2023 by Jacqueline Rafidi
Lasagna soup with herby ricotta is the weeknight answer to our beloved lasagna.
Everything we love about lasagna is packed into this 30 minute lasagna soup with herby ricotta. I had been craving the flavors of a lasagna in soup form. I didn’t even know this was a thing until I was doing some SEO research and saw that TONS of people have also made lasagna soup. I totally understand why, too.
When I think of lasagna, it doesn’t usually cross my mind as a weeknight meal for some reason. Don’t get me wrong, its easy to make and put together, and it’s not necessarily time intensive. Lasagna to me just screams “weekend” for some reason. Anyone else?
Enter this lasagna soup with herby ricotta. Everything it claims to be and more. It’s just SO good and comforting in a different way than traditional lasagna. I love soups all year round and feel like this is a great one to make any time of year.
Making this lasagna soup with herby ricotta is easy
All the components of a traditional lasagna go into this soup
Ground beef: Or other ground meat of choice. I tend to use 85/15 here but use whatever you like
Garlic, celery and onions: The celery is not a typical addition to lasagna, but I felt this soup needed an extra veggie without being overpowering so celery worked well here in my opinion.
Tomatoes, tomato paste and crushed tomatoes: Basically tomatoes in every form. The diced tomatoes act as another veggie, and of course add flavor and color. A can of diced tomatoes work as well if you don’t have fresh. The crushed tomatoes give this soup the substance it needs without being too thick. Using that much tomato sauce or puree wouldn’t have given this soup the “soupy” vibe I wanted it to have.
Spinach: This was again added as an extra nutritious component and a pop of color. I felt this soup was too “red” without it. The green broke that up a little without being overpowering in flavor and I think it looks really appetizing.
Herby ricotta: Ricotta cheese, parsley, basil, parm and shredded Italian cheeses. All the usual suspects you’d find in the ricotta mixture of a lasagna – but I did not add an egg like I typically would for the traditional version. Instead, I actually added a tiny bit of lemon zest which brightens each bite just enough without being overpowering. This really makes it taste like a lasagna.
Lasagna pasta: You could add the pasta right into the soup and let it cook there. If you know you’re going to finish the soup in one night, then go for it! In my family, this definitely lasts us 2 nights, so I tend to boil the pasta, drain AND rinse it. Why rinse the pasta? Without rinsing, the pasta sticks together and gets softer over time which eventually makes it more difficult to serve and eat.
More quick weeknight soups
Mediterranean lentil soup
Classic chili
Mexican chicken and rice soup
Mushroom and wild rice soup
When you make this lasagna soup with herby ricotta, comment down below and rate this recipe to let me know your thoughts! Also share a picture or tag me on Instagram @thebitewithjackie, I love seeing your remakes!
Lasagna Soup with Herby Ricotta
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 celery stalks chopped
- 1 tomato diced
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 – 28oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 5 oz baby spinach chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the herbed ricotta mixture:
- 12 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
- Handful of flat leaf parsley finely chopped
- Handful of fresh basil leaves finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1/3 cup shredded Italian cheese or mozzarella
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large pot with the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and begin cooking and breaking it down into small pieces. Once it’s halfway cooked, add the onions and cook those down for a minute before adding in the garlic and celery. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add in the diced tomato and tomato paste. Mix well to begin coating everything with the tomato paste. Add in the Italian seasoning and oregano, mix then add in the crushed tomatoes. Fill the crushed tomatoes can with water and add that to the pot along with the vegetable broth. Stir well from the bottom, cover half way and bring to a boil then down to a simmer and let it cook for 20 minutes.
- While the soup cooks, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add a generous pinch of salt and cook the lasagna pasta according to package directions. When its done cooking, drain the pasta and rinse to stop the cooking process.
- Make the ricotta mixture by combining all the ingredients in a bowl. Set aside. Once the soup is cooked through, add the spinach, turn the heat off and stir to combine.
- To serve, add some of the cooked lasagna pasta to a bowl, top it with the soup and a dollop of the herbed ricotta. Grate on some fresh Parmigiano Reggiano and enjoy!
This recipe was so easy to make and absolutely delicious. Don’t skip on the herby ricotta, it’s worth it! I see this becoming a staple in our house.
I ended up subbing veg broth for beef bone broth and added kale and bell pepper…chefs kiss!
Yay I’m so happy you enjoyed this soup! It’s such a good one. Definitely going to try those substitutions, they sound fab!