All of the flavour of a white lasagna with chicken, mushrooms, spinach, cream, cheese and noodles in a comforting soup!
Lasagna is one of my all time favourite foods, with a white lasagna being right up there, and in the winter a soup version is also amazing! Traditional lasagna is a dish with layers of meat (usually beef and/or pork), tomato sauce, cheese and noodles whereas a white lasagna uses chicken as the meat, a white sauce instead of the tomato sauce and in my favourite version, adding mushrooms and spinach! This soup includes all of those ingredients, including the chicken, mushrooms, spinach and cheese where the broth has cream and parmesan melted into it. One of the main layers of a lasagna is the cheese layer which is often made with a mixture of ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan and this is included in the soup when it is served, by topping it with a dollop of the cheesy mixture!
White Lasagna Soup
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 50 minutes Total Time: 1 hour Servings: 6
All of the flavour of a white lasagna with chicken, mushrooms, spinach, cream, cheese and noodles in a comforting soup!
ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter (or olive oil)
- 1 onion, diced
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (optional) (gluten-free for gluten-free)
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 8 ounces pasta (such as mafalda corta or broken lasagne) (gluten free for gluten free)
- 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream (or milk)
- 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan cheese), grated
- 2 cups baby spinach, coarsely chopped
- 2 ounces ricotta
- 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1 tablespoons parmigiano reggiano (parmesan cheese), grated
- 1 tablespoon basil, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
directions
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the onions and mushrooms and cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- Add the garlic, thyme, and sprinkle in the flour, mix and cook for a minute.
- Add the broth and chicken, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes, before removing the chicken and slicing or shredding.*
- Add the pasta, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until cooked, about 8 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, add the cooked chicken, cream, parmesan, and baby spinach, mix and let the spinach wilt and the cheese melt into the broth.
- Mix the ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, basil and lemon zest and enjoy the soup topped with a dollop of the cheese mixture!
Option: Use pre-cooked chicken, skipping step 3 and adding the chicken in step 5.
Option: Add 1 cup celery, diced, along with the onions.
Option: Add 1 cup carrots, diced, along with the onions.
Option: Add 4 ounces of cream cheese, along with the parmesan.
Option: Add cooked and crumbled bacon!
Option: Add 1/4 cup blue cheese!
Option: Add 1-2 tablespoon white miso paste at the end.
Option: Make a Tuscan style version by replacing the mushrooms and thyme with 1/3 cup thinly sliced sundried tomatoes and 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning.
