White Chicken Lasagna Soup
A creamy and cheesy soup loaded with tender chicken and lasagna noodles, this dish combines the comfort of lasagna with the convenience of a quick soup, perfect for cold winter days.
Ingredients
Base Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium carrots, diced small
- 2 stalks celery, diced small
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (or 1/2 tsp oregano + 1/2 tsp basil)
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional but recommended)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Soup Ingredients
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken (rotisserie works great)
- 8-10 pieces lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch pieces (or 10 oz mafalda/mini lasagna)
- 1 cup half-and-half (or 1/2 cup heavy cream + 1/2 cup milk)
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened and cubed
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan (plus more for serving)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1-2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
Ricotta Topping
- 3/4 cup whole-milk ricotta
- 1/2 fruit lemon, zested
- pinch of salt and pepper
Garnish
- Fresh parsley or basil, chopped for garnish
- Lemon wedges for serving (optional but brightens everything)
Instructions
Preparation
- Heat olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery; cook 5–6 minutes until tender.
- Stir in garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes; cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Sprinkle in flour and stir for 1–2 minutes to coat veggies and remove raw flour taste. It should look slightly pasty.
Cooking
- Slowly add chicken broth while stirring to avoid lumps. Bring to a gentle simmer and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Stir in shredded chicken.
- Add broken lasagna noodles and simmer for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally so they don’t clump. Cook until noodles are al dente.
- Reduce heat to low. Stir in half-and-half and cream cheese until smooth.
- Add mozzarella and parmesan; stir until melted and silky. If the soup gets too thick, splash in more broth or milk.
- Fold in spinach and cook for 1–2 minutes until wilted. Taste and adjust salt/pepper.
- If you like brightness, squeeze in a little lemon.
Serving
- In a small bowl, mix ricotta with lemon zest, a pinch of salt, and pepper.
- Ladle soup into bowls and dollop with ricotta. Finish with extra parmesan and herbs.
- Crack fresh black pepper on top and serve.
Notes
For best texture, store noodles separately and add when reheating. Soup can reheat for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Freeze soup without noodles or spinach for up to 2 months. When reheating, warm gently on the stove over medium-low and thin with broth or milk as needed.