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This comforting soup takes everything you love about Italian lasagna and transforms it into a warm, spoonable treat without the fuss. It's dairy-free and gluten-free, making it the perfect bowl of goodness that everyone around your table can dig into.
I first put this together when my nephew found out he had celiac disease, and now it's what we all want when Sunday rolls around and we're craving lasagna flavors without spending hours in the kitchen.
What You'll Need
- Olive oil: Forms the starting point for cooking your veggies and keeps everything from sticking to the pot
- Italian pork and ground beef: Bring that rich, meaty lasagna taste and satisfying texture
- Garlic and onion: Create that must-have flavor base that makes Italian food so good
- Marinara sauce: Grab something really tasty like Rao's for the best results
- Diced tomatoes: Give the soup some nice chunks and fresh tang that cuts through the richness
- Low sodium chicken broth: Lets you manage the saltiness while making the liquid part of your soup
- Italian seasoning: Packs all those traditional herbs into one simple scoop
- Black pepper and sea salt: For basic flavoring, always add to your liking
- Red pepper flakes: Not required but great if you want a little kick
- Spinach: Brings some green goodness and vitamins without changing the taste too much
- Gluten free lasagna noodles: Snap them in two for easier spooning
How To Make It
- Cook Onions And Garlic:
- Warm up olive oil in a big pot over medium heat. Toss in your chopped onions and garlic, and let them cook about 3 minutes until they smell amazing and onions turn clear. This sets up all the good flavors for your soup.
- Cook The Meats:
- Put your ground beef and Italian sausage into the pot with your cooked onions and garlic. Break the meat into small pieces as it cooks and keep going until you don't see any pink, about 5 minutes. Pour off extra fat so your soup isn't greasy.
- Mix Up The Liquids:
- Add your marinara, tomatoes with all their juice, and chicken broth. Sprinkle in the Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if you want some heat. Mix everything together well. Turn up the heat until everything starts bubbling nicely.
- Add Your Noodles:
- Once it's boiling, drop in your broken lasagna noodles. Lower the heat just enough to keep it gently bubbling. Let it cook for about 15 minutes, stirring now and then so the noodles don't stick together. They should end up soft but still a tiny bit firm.
- Add Spinach At The End:
- Right before you're ready to eat, throw in your fresh spinach and stir until it shrinks down into the hot soup, which takes about a minute. Give it a taste and add more seasoning if needed, or pour in more broth if you want it thinner.
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What I love most about this dish is how it hits the spot when I want lasagna but don't have time for all the layers. One Christmas Eve our oven suddenly quit working, and this soup totally saved our traditional Italian meal. My father in law actually said he liked it better than the regular lasagna we'd planned to make!
Keeping Leftovers
This soup tastes even better the day after you make it as the flavors blend together in the fridge. Keep it in sealed containers for up to 5 days. When you warm it up, you'll need to add some chicken broth since those gluten free noodles will have soaked up lots of the liquid overnight. Heat it slowly on your stove or pop it in the microwave until it's hot all the way through. It's great for packing individual lunches for the week ahead.
Switch It Up
Though this recipe doesn't include dairy, anyone who can have milk products might enjoy adding a spoonful of ricotta or cottage cheese to their bowl for that classic lasagna feel. If you're vegan, just swap in plant-based ground meat and veggie broth – it works great! The nice thing about soup is how easy it is to change – try tossing in some bell peppers, zucchini, or carrots for extra nutrients. And don't forget to sprinkle some fresh basil or parsley on top right before you dig in.
Crock Pot Version
Want to make this even simpler? It works great in a slow cooker. Just brown your meat with the onions and garlic first, then dump everything except the pasta and spinach into your crock pot. Let it cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. Add your broken noodles during the last half hour, and mix in the spinach just before you're ready to eat. This way works perfectly for those days when you want dinner waiting for you when you get home.
Smart Tricks
Let your soup sit for 5 minutes before serving so all the flavors can really come together. Try breaking your noodles into different sizes to make each spoonful more interesting. If you're meal prepping, think about storing your cooked noodles apart from the soup and mixing them when you're ready to eat so they don't get too big and soggy.
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This soup makes lasagna night so much easier and still gives you all that comfort food feeling you're looking for.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → Can I make this soup with regular lasagna noodles?
You can totally use regular lasagna noodles if you don't need to avoid gluten. Just snap them into smaller chunks before you toss them in and watch your cooking time based on what your package says.
- → How can I make this soup dairy free?
The soup itself doesn't have dairy ingredients. Just skip extras like ricotta or cottage cheese when serving. If you want something creamy, try adding some cashew cream or coconut yogurt instead.
- → Can I substitute the meat for a vegetarian version?
You bet! Swap out the meat for veggie crumbles or add more veggies like zucchini, colorful peppers, or mushrooms. White beans or lentils work great too for extra protein and a nice texture.
- → What's the best way to reheat leftovers?
Warm up leftover soup in a pot on medium, adding a splash of chicken broth since the noodles soak up liquid while sitting. Give it a stir now and then until it's hot all the way through, about 5-7 minutes.
- → How do I prevent the gluten-free noodles from getting mushy?
Keep stirring while the noodles cook and don't let them go too long. If you're making it ahead or cooking a big batch, try cooking and keeping the noodles separate, then add them to each bowl when you're ready to eat.
- → What are the slow cooker instructions for this soup?
For a slow cooker version, first brown your meat, onions and garlic, then dump everything into the slow cooker except the noodles and spinach. Let it cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Add broken noodles for the last 30-45 minutes, and mix in spinach right before you serve it.