Creamy White Lasagna Soup

My winter dinner rotation alternates between cozy soups and comforting casseroles. One dinner that I serve combines the best of both. Meet: creamy white lasagna soup. Instead of painstakingly layering lasagna, I add all of the ingredients directly to a Dutch oven. 

Inspired by white lasagna, this soup trades tangy marinara sauce for cheesy, creamy white sauce, and is made with sliced mushrooms, shredded chicken, and wilted spinach. Since it wouldn’t be lasagna without cheese, I call for adding shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, which melt into the broth. Top every bowl with a generous spoonful of creamy ricotta cheese before serving. 

• Onion and garlic: Onion and garlic are the building blocks of flavor in this rich and creamy soup. You’ll need 1 medium yellow onion and 3 cloves of garlic.
• Mushrooms: Choose either white button or cremini mushrooms, and wipe away dirt with a dry paper towel before slicing.
• Italian seasoning: Who has fresh herbs in winter? This herb blend usually contains a combination of dried rosemary, basil, and oregano. Store-bought is fine or make your own Italian seasoning blend.
• Chicken: I’ll show you how to butterfly chicken breasts for quick-cooking in the broth.
• Unsalted butter: Adds rich buttery flavor when sautéeing the vegetables, and helps the flour disperse evenly without clumping.
• All-purpose flour: Gives the broth body, so that you can use less heavy cream.
• Chicken broth: Using low-sodium chicken broth gives you control over the soup’s seasoning. If you’re using homemade chicken broth, taste and adjust the amount of salt to your taste.
• Lasagna noodles: Cook the lasagna noodles directly in the broth until al dente. This may be slightly longer than the time indicated on the box.
• Heavy cream: Just 1/4 cup of heavy cream gives this soup a creamy consistency.
• Cheese: The best lasagnas contain a variety of cheeses, so I haven’t skimped just because this is soup! Stir shredded mozzarella cheese (low-moisture, not fresh mozzarella) and grated Parmesan cheese into the broth until melted. Add a dollop of creamy ricotta cheese to every bowl of this white lasagna soup.

• Saute aromatics and mushrooms. Cook onion, garlic, and mushrooms until the moisture from the mushrooms evaporates and they begin to brown.
• Add flour. Coating the vegetables with all-purpose flour helps to avoid any lumps and cooking until no dry spots remain removes the raw flour taste.
• Simmer chicken. Add butterflied chicken breasts directly to the broth to cook and soak up flavor at the same time. Once cooked through, remove from the pot and shred with two forks. If using already cooked chicken, wait to add until stirring in the spinach. 
• Cook lasagna noodles. Break dried lasagna noodles into bite-size pieces and cook directly in the broth.
• Add cheeses and spinach. Stir in mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, baby spinach, heavy cream, and the shredded chicken until the cheese melts, spinach wilts, and chicken is warmed through.
• Serve with ricotta. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with a generous spoonful of creamy ricotta cheese.

This cozy soup is a complete one-pot meal, but if you’d like to include a side dish, here are a few ideas.

• Spinach Salad with Apples, Walnuts, and Feta
• Homemade Garlic Bread
• Affogato
• Ricotta Cookies