All the comforting flavor of traditional lasagna casserole presents itself in this simple, fast and easy, low carb lasagna soup.
The inspiration behind this recipe is a family favorite one that I had tweaked throughout the years to make it taste the best it could. To make it Trim Healthy Mama friendly, I only had to swap the regular pasta with Dreamfields pasta. I also used lean ground beef (90%) and low fat cottage cheese to make it somewhat of a lighter S.
No Italian Seasoning? No Problem!
If you don’t have Italian seasoning, but you do have a variety of Italian herbs in your cabinet, then you’re still good to go. Add 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried marjoram, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and 1 extra (extra meaning beyond what is called for in the recipe) teaspoon dried basil. If you’re missing any of these, just skip them. Taste the soup, maybe add some more of what you do have a pinch at a time to taste. There is no set rule of how many or how much Italian herbs to add! Feel it with your heart.
About the Dreamfields Pasta (Hint: You don’t have to use it.)
In case you’re unfamiliar with Dreamfields pasta, here’s a bit about it. It is coated with a unique fiber coating that prevents the body from absorbing the majority of the carbs, making it lean and easy on blood sugar for most people. But, it tastes just like regular pasta.
On Trim Healthy Mama, Dreamfields is considered a Personal Choice item. This means that if you’re fine with it and it works for you, use it; if not, don’t. THM does recommend enjoying one serving of Dreamfields pasta no more than once per week.
If you are on keto or a low carb diet, it’s totally up to you and your own research whether or not to use Dreamfields pasta.
Regardless of what eating plan you’re working, you can substitute the Dreamfields pasta with any number of things. Some common ones are cooked spaghetti squash, cooked shirataki noodles (click here to learn how to properly cook shirataki noodles), riced cauliflower, zucchini noodles (zoodles), or spinach.
Two Ways to Cook Lasagna Soup
In this recipe, I include two ways to cook the lasagna soup. The first (and the one I most often do cause it’s just too easy) is stovetop. The second is slow cooker (also known as Crock Pot).
The slow cooker option is ideal for when you are going to be out of the house (say at work or out running errands) and you want something hot and ready to come home to. In the recipe, I have a wide-ish range of time for running it in the slow cooker. This is because it really doesn’t take too long (it is ready in as little as 2 hours on high since ground meat cooks fairly quickly). If you’re just doing a quick trip, put it on high for 2 to 4 hours. If you’re going to be out all day (such as at work), then set it for the full 8 hours on low. You can even set it for 9 or 10 if you want.
Serving Ideas for Lasagna Soup
Lasagna soup is yummy all by itself, but sometimes you want something else to help fill you up. A couple things that I can think of (feel free to share your own ideas in the comments to inspire others) include a side salad (click here for side salad ideas) or roast veggies (learn how to roast veggies here). If you want a heavier meal, you could make some on plan garlic bread, or for those in your family not on THM you can serve regular garlic bread.
TJ’s Ultimate Lasagna Soup
Ingredients
Soup
- ½ pound ground sausage
- ½ pound ground meat (beef, elk, venison, turkey, chicken, more sausage, etc.)
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups (1 box) beef stock or broth
- 1 egg yolk, beaten (optional, but adds flavor and acts as a thickener)
- 1 can (12 ounces) tomato paste
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes (do NOT drain)
- 2 tablespoons
Italian seasoning - 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon
Gentle Sweet or equivalent sweetener (optional; boosts flavor) - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon mineral salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional if you don't want heat)
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional; boosts flavor)
Cheese Topping
- 1 cup 1% small curd cottage cheese or low fat ricotta cheese
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 2 teaspoons dried Parsley
- ½ teaspoon mineral salt
Other
- 1 box (13.25 ounces) Dreamfields penne rigate pasta (or any other shape Dreamfields pasta or riced cauliflour, shirataki noodles, zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, or spinach)
Instructions
Stovetop
- In a 5 quart pot, cook the ground meats and onion together until the meat is browned and the onion is tender.
- Add garlic. Sauté for a minute or two until garlic is lightly browned.
- Stir in the remaining soup ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Meanwhile, mix together all of the cheese topping ingredients in a separate bowl. Set aside.
- Prepare the noodles per the package directions and drain.
- Once the soup is good and hot, add the cooked noodles.
- Serve soup with a dollop of cheese topping. Alternatively, you can stir in all the cheese topping once the soup is done cooking.
Slower Cooker (Crock Pot)
- Break up the ground meats and add to crock. Add remaining soup ingredients to crock.
- Put on the lid and allow to cook on high for 2 to 3 hours or on low for 4 to 8 hours.
- At some point before the soup is done, mix together all of the cheese topping ingredients in a separate bowl; set aside.
- Cook and drain the noodles per the package directions, add to the crock, and stir.
- Serve with a dollop of cheese topping. Alternatively, you can stir in all the cheese topping once the soup is done cooking.
This soup is amazing! The first new THM soup recipe I have tried in a very long time that EVERYONE in my family loved! It was very filling, even for my husband, who usually has to have something else with soup to fill him up! Definitely going into regular rotation at our house! Thank you!
You’re welcome! Glad you like it. 😀
Perfect! Tried this and another THM one and this one is much tastier.
Perfect! Tried this and another THM one and this one is much tastier.
Definitely the best I’ve tried. Perfect blend of ingredients. Can tell a chef created the recipe for sure.
My favorite soup!
Perfect. Love it!