Creamy Vegetarian Lasagna Soup
Deeply savory one-pot lasagna soup with ruffled noodles and a creamy ricotta finish. Ready in 45 minutes with no separate pot for pasta.
Equipment
- Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot (6-8 qt)
- Microplane
- Chef's Knife and Cutting Board
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Aromatics
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 2 stalks celery, finely diced
Mushrooms
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1 pinch salt
Paste and garlic
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 cloves garlic, grated
Liquids
- 1 can (28-oz) crushed San Marzano tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 Parmesan rind (optional)
Pasta
- 9 oz wavy lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch pieces
Creamy finish
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta (reserve half for swoosh)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 small lemon
Garnish
- to taste fresh basil leaves
- extra olive oil for drizzling
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in your pot over medium heat. Add the finely diced onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned.
- Add the finely chopped mushrooms and a generous pinch of salt. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply browned.
- Add the tomato paste and grated garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes until the paste darkens and smells deeply sweet.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes and 4 cups of vegetable broth. Add the Parmesan rind if using. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let it run for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust salt.
- Add the broken lasagna sheets. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring gently twice, until al dente. Pull the pot off the heat immediately.
- Stir in half a cup of ricotta and a generous handful of grated Parmesan. Taste for acid and salt. Add a squeeze of lemon if needed.
- Ladle into wide bowls. Drop a generous spoonful of the remaining ricotta in the center. Use the back of the spoon to swoosh it out. Drizzle with olive oil. Place two or three basil leaves in the center.
Notes
Salt the mushrooms immediately when they hit the pot for deeper browning. The lasagna sheets release starch – undercook by a minute and thin leftovers with a splash of water. Taste ricotta before buying; it should be milky and clean.
Storage: Fully assembled soup lasts 4 days in the fridge. For meal prep, freeze the broth base without noodles or ricotta for up to 3 months. Reheat with a splash of broth.
Gluten-free: Use chickpea or red lentil lasagna sheets. Dairy-free: Soak 1/2 cup cashews, blend with hot broth, and use as ricotta swirl with nutritional yeast for Parmesan.