The White Lasagna Soup That Saved My Weeknight Dinners

Okay, so I messed this up twice before getting it right. But now? This white lasagna soup is literally the only thing keeping me sane during these crazy busy weeknights.

Look, I’m gonna be honest with you – I found this idea on Pinterest at 11 PM while stress-scrolling after a particularly rough day. You know how it is. The kids were being… well, kids, and I had zero energy to make actual lasagna but was craving those flavors SO badly.

How This Beautiful Disaster Started

Everyone keeps asking how I came up with this recipe, and honestly? Pure laziness mixed with desperation. I think it was a Tuesday – or maybe Wednesday? Time’s weird when you’re surviving on coffee fumes – and I opened my fridge to find random leftover ingredients staring back at me.

Three boxes of chicken broth (why do I always overbuy?), some heavy cream that was about to expire, and a bag of those mini lasagna noodles I bought on impulse. My 8-year-old refuses to eat anything green, but somehow this soup became her new obsession. Kids are weird, right?

Actually, you know what? Let me back up. Version 1.0 was basically cardboard floating in milk. Disaster. Complete disaster. I added way too much flour trying to thicken it and ended up with something that looked like paste. My husband took one bite and diplomatically said, “This has… potential.”

Translation: it was terrible.

But I’m stubborn. And I really wanted this to work because the idea was so good. Creamy, cheesy, all those lasagna flavors but in soup form? Come on. That’s genius territory.

The Ingredients (And My Shopping Drama)

Here’s what you’ll need, and trust me, don’t skimp on the good stuff:

The Base:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (the real stuff, not the fake kind)
• 1 large onion, diced (good luck not crying – I wear sunglasses now. Seriously.)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (I use way more because I’m obsessed)
• 2 tablespoons flour (all-purpose is fine, don’t get fancy)
• 6 cups chicken broth (I always use Swanson, fight me)
• 1 cup heavy cream (none of that light cream nonsense)

The Good Stuff:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened (leave it out for like an hour, or microwave for 15 seconds)
• 1 cup ricotta cheese (get the good brand, not the watery stuff)
• 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded (rotisserie chicken is your friend here)
• 8 oz lasagna noodles, broken into pieces (or use those mini ones if you can find them)
• 2 cups fresh spinach (my daughter doesn’t know it’s in there, shh)
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (please don’t buy pre-shredded, it’s gross and doesn’t melt right)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste

Oh, and another thing – don’t buy pre-shredded cheese. Just don’t. I learned this the hard way when my soup turned into stringy, weird lumps. Fresh cheese melts like a dream and tastes about 100 times better.

The Method (AKA How I Finally Got It Right)

Step 1: Heat that olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. I use my big Dutch oven because this makes a LOT of soup. Like, enough to freeze half for later when you’re feeling lazy again.

Step 2: Add the diced onion and cook until it’s soft and translucent. Takes about 5 minutes. This is where I usually start crying because onions hate me personally, I’m convinced.

Step 3: Toss in the minced garlic and cook for another minute. Don’t let it burn! Last Tuesday I completely burned the garlic because my neighbor knocked on the door, and bitter garlic ruins everything. Set a timer if you’re easily distracted like me.

Step 4: Sprinkle in the flour and stir it around for about a minute. It’ll look pasty and weird, but that’s normal. This is your thickening agent, so don’t skip it.

Step 5: Slowly pour in the chicken broth while whisking constantly. And I mean SLOWLY. Pour it in like you’re making a fancy sauce at a restaurant. If you dump it all in at once, you’ll get lumps. Been there, done that, threw the whole pot away.

Step 6: Add the heavy cream and bring everything to a gentle simmer. Not a rolling boil – that’ll make your cream curdle and you’ll want to cry. Just little bubbles around the edges.

Step 7: Add the softened cream cheese in chunks and whisk until it’s completely melted and smooth. This is where the magic happens. The soup transforms from boring broth to creamy heaven.

Step 8: Stir in the ricotta cheese. Some people add this at the end, but I like to let it meld with everything else. Makes it creamier, in my opinion.

Step 9: Add your cooked chicken and broken lasagna noodles. Let it simmer for about 10-12 minutes until the noodles are tender. Stir occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom.

Step 10: Toss in that spinach and watch it wilt down to nothing. It’ll look like a ridiculous amount at first, then disappear completely. Sneaky vegetables for the win.

Step 11: Remove from heat and stir in most of the mozzarella and all the Parmesan. Save some mozzarella for topping individual bowls because melted cheese on top is non-negotiable.

Step 12: Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Taste as you go – I usually end up adding more salt than I think I need.

The Real Talk Section

Now, here’s the thing about this soup – it’s not going to look Instagram perfect. It’s chunky and rustic and sometimes the noodles clump together a little. That’s okay! It tastes incredible, and that’s what matters.

I think… no, I know this works better when you make it the night before and reheat it. The flavors meld together and it gets even creamier. Just add a splash of broth when reheating because it thickens up in the fridge.

Speaking of reheating – do it slowly on the stove, not in the microwave. The microwave makes the cream all weird and separated. Trust me on this one.

Oh wait, I almost forgot – you can totally make this in the slow cooker too. Just sauté the onions and garlic first, then dump everything except the cheeses and spinach in the crock pot. Cook on low for 4-5 hours, then stir in the cheeses and spinach in the last 30 minutes.

Actually, you know what? The slow cooker version is great for busy days, but the stovetop version has better texture. Your choice.

My Random Discoveries

Found out by accident that adding a splash of white wine makes everything better. I was cooking this one night and had an open bottle sitting there, so I threw some in. Game changer. Not necessary, but if you’ve got it, why not?

Also discovered that this freezes beautifully – well, mostly. The noodles get a little soft when you reheat it, but the flavor is still amazing. I portion it out in freezer bags and it’s like having a homemade meal ready to go.

Don’t use a whisk for stirring once you add the noodles. Trust me. Spoon works better and won’t break up the pasta pieces.

Kids eat this with goldfish crackers on top. Adults pretend to be horrified but secretly think it’s kind of genius. The crunch is actually pretty good.

Why This Works (When Everything Else Doesn’t)

This is way better than any restaurant version I’ve tried, and I don’t care what anyone says – most restaurant soups are just too thin or too salty. This has the perfect creamy consistency without being heavy.

Some recipes online are just wrong about the ratios. Too much broth and you’ve got flavored water. Too much cream and it’s basically cheese sauce. This recipe hits that sweet spot where it actually tastes like lasagna but in soup form.

I don’t care what anyone says, the cream cheese is essential. Regular recipes just use heavy cream, but cream cheese gives it that tangy richness that makes it taste more like actual lasagna filling.

And here’s my controversial opinion – I think this is better than actual lasagna. There, I said it. All the flavors without the fuss of layering and waiting forever for it to bake. Plus, no dishes stuck with burned cheese.

Serving Suggestions (From Real Life Experience)

This is AMAZING with garlic bread. I buy the frozen kind from the store because I’m not making bread from scratch on a Tuesday night. Sue me.

Serve it with a simple salad if you want to pretend you’re being healthy. I use bagged lettuce and bottled dressing. Life’s too short for homemade vinaigrette on weeknights.

My husband likes to add red pepper flakes to his bowl. I think it’s weird, but whatever makes him happy.

We’ve served this to friends and everyone always asks for the recipe. I guess I did something right? It’s not fancy, but it’s good and that’s what matters.

One friend said it reminded her of her Italian grandmother’s cooking. That made me weirdly emotional because my cooking skills are definitely more “survival mode” than “grandmother’s secret recipes.”

Final Thoughts (AKA Why You Should Try This)

Look, if I can make this without burning down my kitchen, anyone can. I’m the person who once caught pasta on fire. Don’t ask me how – even I don’t understand the physics of that disaster.

This soup has become our go-to comfort food. Bad day? White lasagna soup. Rainy evening? White lasagna soup. Kids being difficult? You guessed it.

It’s like a warm hug in a bowl, except the hug tastes like cheese and doesn’t judge you for eating it straight from the pot at 9 PM while standing in the kitchen.

Seriously, try this and tell me what you think. I’m curious if it works as well in other kitchens or if I just got really lucky with this combination.

And hey, if you make it and it turns out terrible, blame Pinterest. That’s where this whole adventure started anyway.

Let me know how yours turns out! Now I’m craving this again just from writing about it. Thanks a lot, brain.

Happy cooking! (And may your smoke alarms stay quiet) 😊