This healthy Lasagna Soup is loaded with all the classic rich flavor of lasagna with the addition of extra veggies for more nutrients and ground turkey as a protein source! It's serious comfort food and definitely a crowd pleaser. The best part is it's all made in one pot for easy cleanup!
As a dietitian, there are so many good reasons I love this deconstructed lasagna soup, but among my favorites are 1. how loaded with nutrition it is and 2. how easy it is to make! You'll cook the veggies and add the meat and broth to the same pot. Let the flavors simmer and add the noodles. Then all that's left to do is top with a creamy ricotta and parmesan mixture!
Serve this soup with a super greens salad and a slice of garlic bread next time you're craving comfort food! Honestly....what's better than Italian food in soup form on a chilly evening?! I hope it becomes one of your favorite soups and goes on your regular meal rotation! 😊
More Healthy Soup Recipes
- Green Goddess Anti-Inflammatory Soup
- Cauliflower White Bean Soup
- Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup with Gouda
- Smoky Chickpea Soup with Tomatoes
- Chicken Potato Soup
- Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Red Cabbage Soup with Potatoes
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Key Ingredient Notes and Substitution Ideas
This healthy lasagna soup is made with simple ingredients. Below are some ingredient notes but be sure to check the recipe card at the bottom for the measurements.
- Ground Turkey - I like to use 93% fat ground turkey for this recipe to make it more lean, but lean ground beef or ground chicken work too! Turkey is a high quality protein that also provides important nutrients including zinc and iron.
- Fresh Vegetables - carrots, red bell peppers, and zucchini add tons of flavor! Fresh baby spinach stirred in at the end is optional but I recommend it. While traditional lasagna usually only has onions and tomatoes, I love adding lots of additional vegetables to this delicious recipe because it's an easy way to add more nutrition and make a more hearty soup.
- Yellow Onion & Garlic - aromatics to add flavor. You can use garlic powder and onion powder if you're in a pinch. If doing so, I recommend to use 1 teaspoon of each.
- Tomato Paste - tomato paste gets stirred into the turkey. This helps to add more umami flavor.
- Crushed Tomatoes - you can use marinara sauce if you prefer, but I like to use crushed tomatoes to make a rich tomato broth since sometimes marinara can have added sugars and other ingredients.
- Seasonings - this recipe has plenty of seasonings for optimal flavor! It's a combination of dried herbs including basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. You can easily replace the combo of seasonings with Italian seasoning which is a blend. I like to add red pepper flakes for a bit of heat. And of course kosher salt & black pepper to tie everything together.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - to saute the veggies and cook the turkey you'll use a tablespoon of olive oil.
- Low Sodium Chicken Broth or Chicken Bone Broth - using bone broth will add more protein! But if you don't like the flavor, you can use regular chicken broth. If you use regular chicken broth, I suggest using low sodium chicken broth to give you more control over the saltiness in the soup base.
- Lasagna Noodles - broken lasagna noodles are added at the end. You can use less noodles if you want to lighten up this soup even more.
- Blend of Cheeses & Greek Yogurt - a combination of ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese added at the time of serving your bowl of soup adds all the flavors of lasagna. I like to use half part full fat ricotta and half part Greek yogurt to lighten it up but you can also use part skim ricotta. Low-fat cottage cheese works to replace ricotta if you prefer.
- Basil - optional added at the end.
How to Make Healthy Lasagna Soup
Below are the step-by-step directions to make this delicious soup with photos that I hope are helpful. Check the recipe card at the bottom for the full recipe.
- Step 1: Chop the veggies into small pieces. Heat a large dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed large pot on medium heat to medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and heat. Add the vegetables including the onion, carrots, bell pepper, and zucchini. Saute or 5-7 minutes, until softened.
- Step 2: Add the ground turkey, seasonings, and garlic. Break apart the turkey with a wooden spoon or masher and cook, stirring occasionally 5-6 minutes until nearly cooked through and no longer pink.
- Step 3: Stir in the tomato paste for about 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes and broth. Bring everything to a boil. Lower to medium-low heat and simmer 5-7 minutes.
- Step 4: Break the lasagna noodles into pieces and add to the soup. I prefer to do some smaller bite-sized pieces and some larger, but in general each noodle will make about 6-8 pieces. Continue to simmer the soup for 8-12 minutes until the lasagna noodles are al dente.
Step 5: Remove from the heat and stir in the spinach (if using). In a separate bowl, combine the ricotta, Greek yogurt and parmesan.
Step 6: Add a dollop of ricotta mixture over each bowl of hot soup and sprinkle shredded mozzarella for a cheesy topping. Finish it with a sprinkle of fresh basil.
Hint: if you want a more thick soup, use 4 cups of chicken broth and increase to your desired soup consistency. Keep in mind the noodles will soak up some of the broth!
Dietitian Tip
Adding veggies like the zucchini, carrots, and red bell pepper in this healthy lasagna soup makes for a more fiber-rich meal and also adds important nutrients AND flavor! The hardest part is chopping the veggies. So if you can, do that part in advance so everything is ready to go when you want to make the soup. 😊
Variations
The best part about this easy lasagna soup is you can customize it to your taste. Below are some ideas.
- Ground Beef - you can totally replace the ground turkey with beef in this recipe if you want!
- Vegetarian - if you're vegetarian or cooking for someone who is, replace the turkey with white beans and use a vegetarian parmesan cheese.
- Lower Calorie - if you want to cut down on the calories, simply use less pasta noodles and tear them into smaller pieces to help them disperse more evenly and cut the cheese in half.
- Different Type of Pasta - if you can't find lasagna noodles, you can use a different kind of pasta. Farfalle (Bow-tie) pasta, campanelle, or fusilli are all delicious options.
Equipment
For best results, use a heavy-bottomed pot like a Dutch Oven. I have this one from Martha Stewart's collection and love it! I use it all the time in the winter months for soups and chilis.
Storage
- Fridge - store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. If you're making this soup ahead of time, make it up until step 4. Then when you're ready to serve, bring the soup back to a boil and add the pasta noodles and finish the recipe. Add an extra splash of broth if needed.
- Freezer - to freeze, make it up until step 4. For in a freezer safe container for up to 2-3 months. When you're ready to eat it, thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in a large pot on the stovetop. Once boiling, add the noodles and lower heat. Cook until noodles soften and then add the ricotta mixture and mozzarella when serving.
Expert Tips
- Chop the veggies into small pieces so they cook faster.
- Use less lasagna noodles if you want to lighten it up.
- You can use 1.5 tablespoon of Italian Seasoning to replace the dried herbs if you want.
FAQ
While healthy means something different to everyone, this is a nutrient-rich option. The ground turkey provides lean protein, iron, and zinc. The added vegetables provide fiber, antioxidants, and important nutrients such as vitamins A and C. The tender lasagna noodles provide carbohydrates which are your brain's preferred energy source.
Absolutely! You can use any meat you prefer. If using a higher fat meat like ground beef or sausage, I suggest to brown sausage or beef first and then drain of excess fat and remove it from the pan. Then cook the veggies and add the meat back in at step 2.
Some other veggies that go great with the lasagna flavors are mushrooms or eggplant.
Related
Looking for other dietitian recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Healthy Lasagna Soup:
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I would love to hear from you! If you made this recipe, please leave me a review below or tag me in a photo or story on Instagram. Your reviews help support me and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love. 🙂 IG: @mallorythedietitian
📖 Recipe
Healthy Lasagna Soup with Turkey, Easy, One Pot
Equipment
- 1 dutch oven or large heavy bottomed pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey (I use 93% lean for this recipe)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 zucchini squash, chopped
- 1-2 large carrots, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped ( or half a large onion)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon each: dried rosemary, dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½-1 teaspoon kosher salt* (to taste, *I use 1 teaspoon of Morton's kosher salt)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 (15 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth (or chicken bone broth)
- 6-8 lasagna noodles
- 2 cups baby spinach (optional)
For Topping
- ½ cup ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese
- fresh basil
Instructions
- Chop the veggies into small pieces. Heat a large dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed large pot on medium heat to medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and heat. Add the vegetables including the onion, carrots, bell pepper, and zucchini. Saute or 5-7 minutes, until softened.
- Add the ground turkey, seasonings, and garlic. Break apart the turkey with a wooden spoon or masher and cook, stirring occasionally 5-6 minutes until nearly cooked through and no longer pink.
- Stir in the tomato paste for about 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes and broth. Bring everything to a boil. Lower to medium-low heat and simmer 5-7 minutes.
- Break the lasagna noodles into pieces and add to the soup. I prefer to do some smaller bite-sized pieces and some larger but in general each noodle will make about 6-8 pieces. Continue to simmer the soup for 8-12 minutes until the lasagna noodles are al dente.
- Remove from heat. If using spinach, stir it into the hot soup until it wilts. In a separate bowl, combine the ricotta, Greek yogurt and parmesan. Add a dollop of ricotta mixture over each bowl of hot soup and sprinkle shredded mozzarella for a cheesy topping. Finish it with a sprinkle of fresh basil.
Notes
- Chop the veggies into small pieces so they cook faster.
- Use less lasagna noodles if you want to lighten it up.
- You can use 1.5 tablespoon of Italian Seasoning to replace the dried herbs if you want.
- Fridge - store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. If you're making this soup ahead of time, make it up until step 4. Then when you're ready to serve, bring the soup back to a boil and add the pasta noodles and finish the recipe. Add an extra splash of broth if needed.
- Freezer - to freeze, make it up until step 4. For in a freezer safe container for up to 2-3 months. When you're ready to eat it, thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in a large pot on the stovetop. Once boiling, add the noodles and lower heat. Cook until noodles soften and then add the ricotta mixture and mozzarella when serving.
Deana Marie Balas
Made this for lunches. After you do all the chopping, this comes together so easily. Delicious. One tip…save some broth, if you plan to eat it over a few days. The lasagna noodles soak it all up. So pour a little broth into the leftovers before reheating.
Mallory
Hi Deana, thank you so much for the comment and rating!! I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed it for lunch and I love the tip to pour some extra broth in the leftovers. I hope you have a great day and thank you again! 🥰