We went out with our neighbors to try a new winery that opened near us last night, so no cocktail today. Instead I’m sharing this recipe for lasagna soup with white beans, garlic, and whipped ricotta that I made for dinner this week.
This soup has the flavors of a lasagna, but it is lighter and way easier to make. I enjoyed this soup, it was very hearty and satisfying, and of course I loved another chance to use whipped ricotta.
The base of the soup is chicken stock, garlic, onion, fire roasted tomatoes and spices. The fire roasted tomatoes really gave it a boost flavor wise, and the whipped ricotta gives a nice creaminess when you are eating it. You could leave out the pasta and just add extra beans if you prefer. My kids enjoyed the pasta aspect of it, but for myself I would have been happy with just beans.
I whipped the ricotta for this with some parmesan, lemon juice, salt and pepper to give it a little punch and we topped it with some fresh basil (highly recommend for the pop of brightness) and more grated parm.
Lasagna Soup with Garlic, White Beans, and Whipped Ricotta
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 8 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 28 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 tsp salt to taste
- 2 14 oz cans white beans
- 8 oz pasta
For the toppings:
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1/2 cup grated parm
- squeeze of lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
- julienned fresh basil for topping
- grated parm for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium and add the garlic and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally until starting to brown a bit. Add the spices and tomato paste and stir, cooking for another minute or two.
- Add the broth, tomatoes and some salt and pepper, as well as the beans. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes to meld the flavors. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup a little so that some of the beans and tomatoes get blended in to thicken the broth. You want about 1/3 of it to be blended. You can also just transfer some soup to a blender to do this. Pour back into the pot.
- Add the pasta and cook until al dente. You can also cook the pasta separately and add it if you like. Adjust the seasoning of the soup after adding the pasta with more salt, pepper, red pepper flakes etc.
- Whip the ricotta with the parm, lemon, salt and pepper using an immersion blender or a small blender cup. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a good dollop of ricotta and some of the basil. Serve with more parm on the side for adding while eating.