Lasagna Soup With Cottage Cheese is the ultimate comfort food for those busy weeknights. The soup has all of the flavors of a traditional lasagna, but requires a fraction of the effort and comes together in just 30 minutes! Top the dish with Whipped Cottage Cheese for an extra creamy and protein-packed twist.
When it comes to comfort food, few things can beat the rich, hearty goodness of lasagna. The layers of pasta, savory meat, gooey cheese, and zesty tomato sauce come together brilliantly.
While I love the process of making a Classic Lasagna, there are those busy days when I crave the flavors of lasagna, yet don’t have the time to go through the process of assembling and baking. Those are the days when I turn to this easy lasagna soup recipe, which comes together in under 30 minutes!
This meal has become a favorite in our household, especially during the winter months, and I know it will become a favorite in your home too!
Looking for more Italian-inspired recipes? Be sure to also check out my Linguine Bolognese, Pasta Alla Salmone, Creamy Tortellini Soup, Gluten-Free Meatballs, Easy Dutch Oven Meatballs, or Italian Stuffed Spaghetti Squash.
For more cottage cheese recipes check out my Cottage Cheese Pizza Bowl, Cottage Cheese Queso, or Cottage Cheese With Fruit Breakfast Bowl.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Super Easy: One of the best things about this recipe is its simplicity. No need to layer noodles or wait for hours—It's the perfect easy dinner.
- Customizable: Use your favorite protein, add in extra veggies, or mix up the cheeses. You can tweak it to work for any diet or lifestyle.
- Family Friendly: Even the pickiest eaters will love it. Imagine the familiar flavors of lasagna, but in soup form – it's like a warm hug for your taste buds.
Ingredients
- Extra Virgil Olive Oil: You can also use avocado oil, ghee or butter.
- Onions: A sweet yellow onion will add tons of flavor to this dish. If you don't have a yellow onion you can use a white onion instead.
- Ground Beef: Do yourself a favor and pick up some grass-fed ground beef.
- Garlic: I don't think you can make this soup without garlic, but if you really dislike it leave it out. You could also swap in garlic powder.
- Herbs: Use your favorite Italian herbs, like fresh thyme, fresh oregano, fresh rosemary, marjoram, or fresh sage. If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, you can use dried herbs. Italian seasoning would be perfect.
- Tomato Paste: The tomato paste adds an extra punch of tomato flavor without additional liquid.
- Salt & Black Pepper: Salt helps tie all the flavors together and pepper adds a little kick!
- Tomato Sauce: You can use whatever you have on hand, however Rao’s Marinara Sauce, is a great option. This sauce is made with real ingredients, no added sugar, and it tastes fantastic. Costco also carries this sauce, making it a great way to save a few bucks! If you don't have pasta sauce on hand you can use crushed tomatoes.
- Beef Broth or Chicken Broth: Store-bought or homemade chicken stock. You can also use Bonafide Provisions, as they make a wonderful broth; It’s certified organic, frozen fresh, and made from free-range bones (slow-simmered for eighteen hours prior to distribution).
- Lasagna Noodles: Use any gluten-free lasagna noodles that you like. I’ve used both Jovial, and Cappellos. If you are not gluten-free you can use regular lasagna noodles. Whichever noodle you choose, be sure to break them down into smaller pieces.
- Spinach: The addition of fresh organic spinach leaves is a great way to pack in some additional nutrients.
- Whipped Cottage Cheese: Use my whipped cottage cheese recipe, which only takes a minute!
- Parmesan Cheese: Parmesan adds that umami flavor. You could also use Pecorino Romano. Just do yourself a favor, buy a block of cheese, and shred it yourself.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Extra Meaty: For an extra special treat, try adding some hot Italian sausage or mild Italian sausage along with the ground beef. It will provide an additional layer of flavor and depth to the soup.
- Different Meat: If ground beef isn't your think swap it for lean ground turkey, or ground chicken.
- Dairy-Free: To make this recipe dairy-free, try using a dairy-free cottage cheese and dairy-free parmesan.
- Veggie Packed: Looking to sneak in some extra greens? Add in some kale along with the spinach for some additional nutrients.
- Different Noodles: If you don’t have lasagna noodles on hand, don't worry! You can make this with any type of pasta you like.
- Cheese: If you are not a fan of cottage cheese, you can swap it for a dollop of ricotta cheese, some mozzarella cheese, or even a splash of heavy cream.
- Spicy: Add crushed red pepper flakes to the soup to give it a little kick.
- Extra Italian: to give this soup an extra little twist try adding in some fennel seed, and top with fresh basil.
How To Make One Pot Lasagna Soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Step 1. Place your Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat, and add the extra virgin olive oil and onions. Saute the onions for 5-7 minutes or until soft.
Step 2. Using a wooden spoon, move the sauteed onions to the side of the Dutch oven and then add the ground beef.
Break up the ground beef with your wooden spoon and cook until browned
Step 3. Add garlic, herbs, tomato paste, salt, and pepper, and combine with the beef and onions. Cook for about 1 minute.
Step 4. Next, add the tomato sauce and chicken broth to the beef mixture and stir to combine.
Step 5. Bring the soup to a boil and add the broken lasagna noodles, stirring to combine
Step 6. Add the fresh spinach, and taste for seasonings, adjust as needed.
Step 8. Cook the lasagna noodles about 1-2 minutes shy of the package directions, or until just before al dente. Don’t forget to stir the soup periodically so the noodles don’t stick together.
Once the spinach has wilted, ladle the soup into bowls and top with the whipped cottage cheese and freshly grated Parmesan.
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Expert Tips And Notes
- Don't overcook the noodles! Make sure you cook the noodles until they are just about done. To avoid soggy noodles, make sure you don’t let the soup simmer for too long after the noodles are cooked.
- It's helpful to put your lasagna sheets into a large freezer bag and break them by using a kitchen mallet. This will help prevent the noodles from flying all over your kitchen!
- Don't be shy with the herbs! A generous pinch of basil, oregano, and a hint of garlic powder can elevate the flavor profile. Taste as you go and adjust the seasonings according to your preferences.
Serving Suggestions
op with Blended Cottage Cheese and serve alongside any of the following
- Garlic Bread
- Fresh Green Salad
- Caesar Salad
- Pesto for drizzling
- Aperol Soda
- Fresh Basil
- Parmesan Crisps
Storage And Reheating
Storage: Once the soup comes to room temperature, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. The leftover soup tends to taste even better the next day as the flavors continue to meld.
Reheating: To reheat, place the soup in a Dutch oven or stock pot and heat on the stove top over medium-high heat until warm.
Recipe FAQs
Cottage cheese is high in protein and adds a creamy lightness to this dish.
Absolutely! Skip the meat and opt for vegetable broth instead of beef or chicken broth. Load up on your favorite veggies, and you'll have a delicious vegetarian version.
More Soup Recipes
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If you tried this Lasagna Soup With Cottage Cheese Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
One Pot Lasagna Soup With Cottage Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgil Olive Oil
- 1 Onion
- 1 lb Ground Beef grass-fed
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Italian Herbs
- 2 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 24 oz Marinara Sauce
- 32 floz Beef or Chicken Broth
- 6-8 Lasagna Noodle Sheets broken into 1-2 inch pieces
- 2 cups Spinach
- ½ cup Whipped Cottage Cheese divided between each bowl of soup
- Parmesean Cheese to taste
Instructions
- Place your Dutch or large pot oven over medium heat and add the extra virgin olive oil and onions. Saute the onions for 5-7 minutes or until soft.
- Using a wooden spoon, move the sauteed onions to the side of the Dutch oven and then add the ground beef.
- Break up the ground beef with your wooden spoon and cook until browned.
- Add garlic, herbs, tomato paste, salt, and pepper, and combine with the beef and onions. Cook for about 1 minute.
- Next, add the tomato sauce and chicken broth to the beef mixture and stir to combine.
- Bring the soup to a boil and add the broken lasagna noodles, stirring to combine.
- Cook the lasagna noodles about 1-2 minutes shy of the package directions, or until just before al dente. Don’t forget to stir the soup periodically so the noodles don’t stick together.
- Add the fresh spinach, and taste for seasonings, adjust as needed.
- Add the fresh spinach, and taste for seasonings, adjust as needed.
Notes
- Don't overcook the noodles! Make sure you cook the noodles until they are just about done. To avoid soggy noodles, make sure you don’t let the soup simmer for too long after the noodles are cooked.
- It's helpful to put your lasagna sheets into a large freezer bag and break them by using a kitchen mallet. This will help prevent the noodles from flying all over your kitchen!
- Don't be shy with the herbs! A generous pinch of basil, oregano, and a hint of garlic powder can elevate the flavor profile. Taste as you go and adjust the seasonings according to your preferences.
Beth says
This was really good. I did have the noodles already cooked and just put the soup on top. We used dried herbs because that's what we had. My husband ate so much of it and my kids liked it without the cottage cheese. Thank you for a great recipe. I used the Ragu from Sam's Club that was left over from use making pizza the night before.
Nadia says
Hi Beth! Thank you so much for the kind comment. I'm so happy to hear that you and your family enjoyed the recipe! I love your adjustments and the way you repurposed what you had on hand! Have a great day. - Nadia