Description
This White Lasagna Soup with Chicken is a creamy and comforting dish that captures the flavors of classic white lasagna in a cozy soup form. It features tender chicken breasts, sautéed vegetables, cream cheese, Parmesan, and baby spinach, making for a hearty meal perfect for chilly days.
Ingredients
Scale
Sautéed Vegetables
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion (diced)
- 2 medium carrots (peeled and diced)
- 1 cup celery stalks (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
Seasonings and Flour
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Liquids and Chicken
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 2 medium chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)
Dairy and Pasta
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 oz cream cheese (softened)
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
- 3 oz baby spinach
- 6 oz lasagna noodles
Instructions
- Sauté Vegetables: In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant.
- Add Seasonings and Flour: Stir in Italian seasoning, dried basil, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Whisk in the flour until fully combined to form a roux and cook for about a minute to remove the raw flour taste.
- Add Broth and Chicken: Pour in chicken broth and water, stirring to combine. Bring mixture to a boil. Add chicken breasts, reduce heat to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- Shred Chicken: Remove the chicken breasts from the pot and allow to cool slightly. Shred into bite-sized pieces with forks or your hands.
- Cook Lasagna Noodles: Meanwhile, in a separate pot, cook broken lasagna noodles according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside. You can add extra noodles for a pasta-heavier soup if desired.
- Add Dairy to Soup: Return the pot with soup base to a simmer. Stir in whole milk and cream cheese. Cook while stirring occasionally for 3-5 minutes until the cream cheese melts smoothly into the soup base.
- Finish Soup: Stir in grated Parmesan cheese, baby spinach, and shredded chicken. Cook for another 3 minutes while stirring until Parmesan melts, spinach wilts slightly, and chicken warms through. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve: Remove soup from heat. Serve by ladling soup into bowls, adding cooked lasagna noodles just before serving. Garnish with fresh herbs and shaved Parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy your warm, delicious white lasagna soup!
Notes
- You can substitute kale for baby spinach if preferred.
- Adding extra lasagna noodles will make the soup heartier and more pasta-heavy.
- For a richer soup, use whole milk as directed, but you can substitute with 2% milk if you want to reduce fat slightly.
- Softened cream cheese ensures it melts smoothly into the soup, so allow it to come to room temperature before adding.
- This soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stovetop while stirring.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 417 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 1309 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 96 mg
