PREV
Two of the most comforting dishes ever invented, combined into one super easy one-pot soup recipe. Not only are we not going through the hassle of making a layered lasagna, but we’re also not making our own butternut squash soup. Instead, we’re calling in a favor from some busy weeknight dinner hacks like using bottled marinara sauce and store-bought butternut squash soup. With only one pot to clean afterwards, this Butternut Squash Lasagna Soup will immediately earn its spot in your regular weeknight rotation.
Watch Me Make Butternut Squash Lasagna Soup
Table of Contents
Ingredients and Substitutions
How to Make It
Storing
Tips
Reasons to Love It
Soup Recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions
Ground Beef
For the most traditional lasagna flavor, I use ground beef, but you can also use ground Italian sausage (hot or sweet), ground turkey, or ground chicken. Since you’ll probably end up making this recipe as often as I do (aka A LOT) you can make it with a different meat each time and see which one you like best!
Marinara Sauce
Buying a jar of pre-made marinara sauce is a completely acceptable thing to do. It’s one of my favorite time-saving kitchen hacks when I’m combining it with other ingredients. I use Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce, but Sauz is another favorite brand.
Butternut Squash Soup
We also don’t need to make the butternut squash soup base from scratch, either. Like the marinara sauce, we’re combining it with so many other ingredients so that any shortcomings of the soup on its own become irrelevant. I use Pacific Foods Butternut Squash Soup, but Trader Joe’s also makes a really good one, too.
Lasagna Noodles
I break lasagna noodles into irregular bite-sized pieces before adding them to the soup. I like the large flat pieces of cooked lasagna noodles, but you could also try it with fresh gnocchi or tortellini. It won’t technically be a “lasagna soup” anymore, but that’s okay.
Broth
Even though we’re using ground beef, I’m using chicken broth because it’s a lot lighter. You could use vegetable broth or beef broth if you want instead.
Heavy Cream
Add a little extra creaminess with some heavy cream. You can omit it if you don’t eat dairy.
Onion, Garlic, and Spices
Unless I’m making a raw salsa or putting raw onions on a burger, I pretty much always cook with yellow onion. You can mince or grate fresh garlic cloves. I use my Harmony Mediterranean Blend as an all-purpose seasoning for so many recipes, but you could also use a similar Italian seasoning.
Toppings (optional)
Just like I would do with a traditional lasagna, I like adding a dollop of whole milk ricotta for serving. For more protein, I like blending cottage cheese instead of ricotta. You can blend the cottage cheese (or the ricotta) with lemon zest and cracked black pepper or just leave it plain. Lastly, sprinkle freshly grated parmesan cheese (or pecorino) and chopped fresh parsley on top.
How to Make Butternut Squash Lasagna Soup
Step 1
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef to the pot, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook for 6-8 minutes until completely browned.
Step 2
Add the diced onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes until soft. Stir in the minced garlic, Harmony Mediterranean Blend, salt, and pepper and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Step 3
Pour in the marinara sauce, butternut squash soup, chicken broth, and heavy cream. Stir well and bring to a boil.
Step 4
Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. Drop in the broken lasagna noodles.
Step 5
Cook uncovered for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently so the noodles don’t stick together or to the bottom of the pot, until the pasta is tender and cooked through. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if desired. If the soup gets too thick, add a little more chicken broth.
Step 6
Ladle the soup into individual bowls. Top each serving with a generous scoop of ricotta, grated Parmesan, and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
Storing and Reheating Soup
Store the soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The noodles will absorb more liquid as it sits, so you may need to add a little more chicken broth or water when you reheat it. Either reheat in a small to medium pot on the stovetop over medium-low heat until warmed through, or reheat in the microwave for 1.5-2 minutes, or until warmed through, stirring every 30 seconds.
Tips for Making the Best Butternut Squash Lasagna Soup
- When cooking the beef, leave it undisturbed for several minutes to allow it to brown.
- To save some time (and avoid crying) you can blitz the onion and garlic in a food processor instead of chopping by hand.
- When choosing a jarred marinara sauce, make sure not to get plain tomato sauce. But you also don’t want to choose a sauce with a lot going on. We want something high-quality with a simple ingredient list.
- Bring the soup to a boil before lowering the heat to a simmer. Bringing the ingredients to a boil first brings out and melds all the flavors.
- Don’t break the lasagna noodles into too-small pieces. You want them about the same size as your marinara jar lid.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This recipe uses one of my favorite time-saving kitchen hacks of adding more ingredients to a store-bought soup or sauce. It saves so much time while easily adding a ton of flavor and a base for your soup.
- I love a one-pot meal. This soup is built ingredient-by-ingredient in one pot. Even the lasagna noodles cook within the soup itself, so you only have one dish to deal with after dinner.
- When you want something comforting, what could be better than butternut squash soup… except lasagna. Combining them into one soup is an easier version of both that I actually like even better!
- This recipe has lots of protein, especially if you add whipped cottage cheese on top instead of ricotta.
