Because who says comfort food can’t be creative?
Lasagna is a popular dish, to say the least. So popular, in fact, that lasagna lovers may think there’s no way to improve on the classic. The Internet now begs to differ, however, as home cooks and celebrity chefs alike have started crafting decadent pots of lasagna soup.
You heard that right: Lasagna is now soup. And once you get over the shock of liquified lasagna, the obvious upside of the situation is that you get the same comforting flavor profile and soft textures without the hassle of assembling all those layers. Plus, there’s no risk of accidentally making a soupy lasagna, since this version of lasagna is already literal soup.
If you want to dip your toe into the lasagna soup world, Ree Drummond — the incredibly trustworthy Pioneer Woman — has a recipe that reviewers say will make your house smell like an Italian grandmother’s embrace. “Try it…just once. You’ll see why” Drummond writes, and we get why she’s so enthusiastic. The soup is a hearty assemblage of rich tomato broth, tender noodles, beef and pork, and just enough cream to maximize comfort. Plus, Drummond has a genius approach to the ricotta that’s an integral part of the traditional lasagna structure. She recommends mixing ricotta cheese with parmesan, seasoning, and herbs, then forming small dumplings and gently plopping them into the soup. The dumplings will add an extra creamy pop to each bite — though the addition of white wine adds an edge of acid so that the dairy in the dish doesn’t become overwhelming.
Oh, and one more thing: This soup doesn’t require that anxiety-inducing resting period that a baked lasagna needs. You can dig in as soon as your noodles are pliable and your ricotta dumplings are added. And remember that Drummond recommends adding a little extra ricotta to each individual bowl, which sounds like professional advice that we can absolutely get behind.
Ree Drummond’s Lasagna Soup Recipe
Ingredients
12 uncooked lasagna noodles
1/4 cup olive oil
1 yellow onion, halved and sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 sprig oregano, minced
2 sprigs thyme, minced
1 pound ground beef
1 pound pork sausage, casing removed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 cup white wine or stock
One 14.5-ounce can whole tomatoes with juice
4 cups (1 quart) vegetable or chicken stock
1 tablespoon chopped parsley, plus more for serving
1/2 cup heavy cream
Ricotta “Dumplings”
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 tablespoon minced basil, plus some torn leaves for garnish
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Break the lasagna noodles into random smaller pieces.
In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, oregano, and thyme and cook, stirring, until starting to soften, about 2 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium-high, then add the ground beef, sausage, salt, and pepper. Saute until the meat is fully cooked, breaking it up as you go, about 5 minutes. Drain off at least half of the grease.
Add the tomato paste and stir to combine. Let the tomato paste cook for 1 minute.
Add the wine and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up any flavorful little bits.
Add the tomatoes and their juice, crushing them with the spoon as you stir them in.
Add the stock and stir it in, then add the parsley.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
Cook the noodles about 1 minute less than the package directions, until almost tender. Drain and set aside.
Pour in the cream and stir to combine.
Add the noodles and let them simmer for 5 minutes while you make the ricotta mixture.
Make the ricotta dumplings: In a bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, basil, salt, and pepper and stir until combined.
Dish up bowls of soup, sprinkle with a little extra basil, and add a dollop of ricotta (or two or three) to the top of each one!
