Spicy White Lasagna Soup
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces hot Italian sausage, casings removed (substitute mild Italian sausage if you don't like spicy)
- 1 pound ground beef (I used 80/20)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 medium cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups half and half
- 8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 2-3 cups chopped and de-stemmed spinach
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8-10 large lasagna noodles, broken into smaller pieces
- Garnishes: Ricotta cheese, red pepper flakes, fresh parsley, parmesan cheese, and pesto sauce (optional but highly recommended)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a dutch oven or large pot and place on medium heat. Add in the hot Italian sausage and ground beef, break it up and cook until almost done - around 7-10 minutes. Remove onto a plate once it's done and set aside for now. Leave at least a tablespoon of the oil in the pan.
- To the pot, add the onions along with a pinch of salt and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the garlic, thyme, and oregano, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add in chicken broth and then deglaze the pan, making sure to scrape the bits of flavor from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add meat back to the pan. Turn the heat up to medium/high and let the chicken broth come to a boil. Cook for 10-12 minutes.
- Break the lasagna noodles into smaller pieces and cook them in a separate pot of water if you plan to have any leftovers. Pasta will continue to expand the longer it sits in the mixture. Let the noodles cook for 8-10 minutes or so, or until cooked to your liking. Keep an eye on them and stir occasionally to make sure they don't stick to the bottom!
- To the soup add half and half, cream cheese, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. Stir to combine. Lastly, add in the spinach.
- Let soup gently simmer on low heat until soup begins to thicken 5-10 minutes. (Make sure the soup isn't boiling! You don't want the dairy to curdle!) Stir the soup every couple of minutes.
- Once the soup has thickened slightly, taste and adjust for seasoning. Garnish with ricotta cheese, fresh parsley, red pepper flakes, grated parmesan, and pesto sauce.
