Description
White Lasagna Soup with Chicken is a creamy, comforting soup packed with tender chicken breasts, sautéed vegetables, cream cheese, and Parmesan. This cozy dish combines all the flavors of a classic white lasagna in a hearty soup form, perfect for a warming meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Sautéed Vegetables and Seasonings
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion (diced)
- 2 medium carrots (peeled and diced)
- 1 cup celery stalks (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Base and Chicken
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 2 medium chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)
Dairy and Greens
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 oz cream cheese (softened)
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
- 3 oz baby spinach
Pasta
- 6 oz lasagna noodles (broken)
Instructions
- Cook Vegetables: In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery and sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Add Seasonings and Flour: Stir in Italian seasoning, dried basil, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Whisk in the flour until fully combined with the vegetables.
- Add Liquids and Chicken: Pour in chicken broth and water, stir and bring to a boil. Add the chicken breasts, reduce heat to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for about 15 minutes until chicken is fully cooked.
- Shred Chicken: Remove chicken breasts from the pot and let them cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, shred into bite-sized pieces.
- Cook Noodles: In a separate pot, cook broken lasagna noodles according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Melt Dairy Ingredients: Return soup base to a simmer. Add milk and cream cheese, stirring occasionally for 3-5 minutes until cream cheese melts completely.
- Combine and Finish Soup: Stir in Parmesan cheese, baby spinach, and shredded chicken. Cook for another 3 minutes, allowing Parmesan to melt, spinach to wilt slightly, and chicken to reheat. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve: Ladle soup into bowls, add cooked lasagna noodles to each bowl just before serving, garnish with fresh herbs and shaved Parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- You can substitute baby spinach with kale if preferred for a different leafy green flavor.
- Adding extra lasagna noodles is fine if you prefer a pasta-heavier soup; simply cook and add more noodles after tasting.
- Use softened cream cheese to ensure it blends smoothly into the soup without lumps.
- For a less rich version, substitute whole milk with 2% milk or a dairy alternative, keeping cream cheese for thickness.
- Fresh herbs like basil or parsley make great garnishes to enhance aroma and presentation.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 417 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 1309 mg
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 96 mg
