Description

This creamy white lasagna soup is a comforting, hearty dish featuring spicy Italian sausage, broken lasagna noodles, and a velvety half-and-half broth. Combining the flavors of traditional lasagna in a quick and easy one-pot soup, it’s perfect for chilly evenings, meal prepping, or casual entertaining. Enhanced with kale and parmesan, this soup is rich, flavorful, and simple to customize for dietary preferences.

Ingredients

Scale

Main Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground spicy Italian sausage (substitute mild sausage if preferred)
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp Italian seasoning (or blend of oregano and thyme)
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups half-and-half
8–10 lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch pieces
2–3 cups kale, chopped and de-stemmed (or spinach as alternative)
Salt and black pepper to taste

Optional Garnishes

½ cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
Red pepper flakes
Fresh thyme sprigs
Crusty bread or garlic toast for serving

Instructions

Prep Ingredients: Dice the yellow onion, mince the garlic, de-stem and chop the kale, and break the lasagna noodles into 2-inch pieces to ensure even cooking.
Brown the Sausage: Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage and break it apart using a wooden spoon. Cook for 7–10 minutes until nearly fully browned, then transfer the sausage to a plate and set aside.
Cook the Aromatics: In the same pot, add diced onions with a pinch of salt. Sauté for 2–3 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in minced garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for another 1 minute.
Make a Light Roux: Sprinkle the flour over the cooked vegetables and stir to coat. Cook for 1–2 minutes to eliminate the raw flour taste, ensuring the roux thickens the broth later.
Deglaze and Add Broth: Slowly pour in the chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to lift browned bits (fond) for extra flavor. Increase heat to bring the broth to a gentle boil.
Cook the Pasta in the Broth: Add the broken lasagna noodles directly into the boiling broth. Stir occasionally and cook for 8–10 minutes until al dente. This also helps thicken the soup with the starches from the noodles.
Reintroduce Sausage and Add Dairy: Lower the heat to medium-low. Add the browned sausage back into the pot. Slowly stir in the half-and-half, making sure the soup does not boil after adding dairy to avoid curdling.
Add the Greens: Stir in the chopped kale or spinach. Simmer gently for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the greens become soft and the soup thickens slightly.
Final Seasoning Check: Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with salt, black pepper, or additional Italian seasoning as needed.
Serve and Garnish: Ladle the soup into bowls and top with freshly shredded parmesan cheese, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and fresh thyme sprigs if desired. Serve alongside crusty bread or garlic toast for dipping.

Notes

Add the half-and-half slowly and avoid boiling after addition to prevent dairy curdling.
Cook noodles al dente to prevent mushiness, especially important for leftovers.
For gluten-free version, substitute gluten-free lasagna noodles or short gluten-free pasta.
To make vegetarian, omit sausage and use vegetable broth with cannellini beans or mushrooms instead.
Store leftovers in airtight container in refrigerator up to 3–4 days; noodles may thicken soup – add broth when reheating.
Freeze base soup without noodles and dairy for up to 3 months, adding fresh noodles and dairy when reheating.
Adjust spice level by choosing mild sausage or offering red pepper flakes on the side.
Use fresh parmesan for better melting and richer flavor.
Add kale earlier in cooking to retain texture; spinach only needs a few minutes at end to avoid over-softening.
Leftovers reheat best on stovetop with occasional stirring and addition of broth or half-and-half to adjust consistency.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Category: Soup
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Italian-American

Keywords: creamy white lasagna soup, Italian sausage soup, lasagna noodle soup, one pot soup, comfort food, creamy soup, kale soup, Italian soup recipe