Creamy White Lasagna Soup
Ingredients
Soup:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped carrots, about 2 large
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 12 to 16 ounces tri-color rotini, depending on how noodly you want it
- 8 cups milk
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 to 3 cups cooked, shredded or chopped chicken
Creamy Topping:
- 2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Chopped fresh tomatoes
Instructions
- In a large 8-quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, 5-7 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth, parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and rotini.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the rotini is al dente (it will continue cooking a few more minutes in the next step).
- Whisk or blend together the milk and flour.
- Add the mixture to the soup and simmer for 4-5 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in the chicken and heat through.
- For the topping, stir together the ricotta cheese, basil, pinch of salt and pepper, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.
- Serve the soup topped with a scoop of the ricotta mixture plus a smattering of fresh tomatoes.
Notes
Halving the Recipe: this makes a big ol' pot of soup, so feel free to halve the recipe for a smaller crowd.
Chicken: also, if you don't have cooked chicken on hand, never fear! In the first step, before adding the vegetables, heat the oil and add diced, uncooked chicken (about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds) that's been seasoned lightly with salt and pepper. Cook it through, 5-7 minutes and then remove to a plate and proceed with the recipe, adding the chicken back in at the end.