Easy High-Protein Lasagna Soup Recipe (with Gluten-free Option)

High-protein lasagna soup brings the familiar direction of lasagna to a bowl, combining seasoned meat, marinara sauce, broth, noodles, spinach, and melted cheese. Cottage cheese, Parmesan, and mozzarella are stirred into the soup near the end, giving the finished dish its distinctive cheesy finish while contributing to its protein-forward profile.

The base begins with onion and garlic softened in olive oil, followed by lean ground beef, ground chicken Italian sausage, or a combination of both. Tomato paste, broth, and marinara sauce create the soup base, while Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper build the seasoning from the start.

You can use elbows, penne, or broken-up lasagna noodles. The pasta may cook directly in the soup or separately, depending on the approach you choose. Cooking it separately also gives you a way to keep the noodles apart for storage.

Each recipe makes six servings. The soup is finished with wilted baby spinach and melted cheeses, then can be topped with ricotta, additional shredded cheese, fresh basil, or red pepper flakes. A gluten-free option is possible through the noodle choice, using noodles suited to that need.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 medium onion (diced)

• 3 cloves garlic (minced)

• 1.5 lb lean ground beef or ground chicken Italian sausage (or a combination of both)

• 2 tbsp Italian seasoning

• 1 tsp salt

• ½ tsp pepper

• 3 tbsp tomato paste

• 4 cups chicken bone broth or beef broth

• 1 24oz jar marinara sauce

• 1-2 cups water or additional broth (optional, as needed), optional

• 8 oz noodles (elbows, broken up lasagna noodles, penne; option to cook separately)

• 1 ½ cups low-fat cottage cheese (or choose non-fat or full-fat )

• 4 cups baby spinach

• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

• 1 cup shredded light mozzarella cheese (or choose non-fat or full-fat cheese)

• Dollop of ricotta cheese

• Extra shredded cheese (shaved parmesan, shredded mozzarella)

• Fresh basil

• Red pepper flakes

The ingredient list combines a hearty meat base with tomato sauce, broth, pasta, greens, and several cheeses. Use lean ground beef, ground chicken Italian sausage, or a combination of the two. The soup also allows flexibility in the pasta shape and in the fat level of the cottage cheese and mozzarella.

The broth can be chicken bone broth or beef broth. The optional water or additional broth is included as needed, with the amount depending on whether the pasta cooks directly in the soup. The noodle choices include elbows, broken-up lasagna noodles, and penne, and the recipe provides the option to cook them separately. For the gluten-free option, choose noodles suited to that requirement.

How to Make High-Protein Lasagna Soup {with Gluten-free Option}

Use a large pot for the soup. The cooking moves from sautéing the aromatics to browning the meat, then to simmering the tomato-and-broth base before the greens and cheeses are added.

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute, until fragrant.

2. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the lean ground beef, ground chicken Italian sausage, or combination of both. Cook until the meat is well browned and no longer pink, breaking it up as it cooks. Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

3. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, until fully incorporated. Pour in 4 cups of chicken bone broth or beef broth and the 24-ounce jar of marinara sauce. If the pasta will cook directly in the soup, increase the broth to 8 cups. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes so the flavors meld.

4. A few minutes before serving, reduce the heat and stir in the cottage cheese until it is smoothly integrated. Add the baby spinach and stir until wilted. Mix in the Parmesan and mozzarella until the cheeses are well combined and melted.

5. Stir the soup and taste for seasoning, adjusting if necessary. If the pasta was cooked separately, add it to the soup at this point or place the desired amount directly into serving bowls.

6. Ladle the soup into bowls. Add a dollop of ricotta, extra shredded cheese, fresh basil, or red pepper flakes if desired.

The pasta method is the main point to decide before cooking. Pasta cooked directly in the soup uses the larger broth amount specified in the instructions. Pasta cooked separately is added only after the soup has been seasoned and finished with its spinach and melted cheeses.

Serving Suggestions

Ladle the finished soup into bowls after the pasta has been added, either to the pot or directly to individual servings. Each bowl can be finished with a dollop of ricotta, extra shredded cheese such as shaved Parmesan or shredded mozzarella, fresh basil, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. For another recipe idea, explore Creamy Tortellini Soup.

The recipe makes 6 servings, with a serving size of 1 bowl. The optional toppings let each serving receive its own finishing combination without changing the soup’s main cheese mixture. If the pasta was cooked separately, add the desired amount to each bowl before ladling in the soup.

Storage and Make-Ahead

Let the soup cool completely before storing it. Once cooled, transfer it to airtight containers. If the pasta was cooked separately, keep it separate from the soup during storage to avoid sogginess. This approach also lets you add pasta only when serving or reheating a portion. For another make-ahead idea, see Hearty Vegetable Soup Recipe.

Refrigerate the soup for 4–5 days. For longer storage, freeze it for 3–4 months without the noodles. Freeze the soup in suitable portions and leave space at the top of each container for expansion. The storage guidance specifically favors freezing the soup without noodles, so separately cooked pasta should remain apart rather than being frozen in the same container.

Thaw frozen soup in the refrigerator overnight or use the microwave defrost setting. After thawing, the separately stored noodles can be added to the soup when it is ready to serve.

Why You’ll Love It

This high-protein lasagna soup brings a lasagna-style combination of meat, marinara, noodles, spinach, and cheese into a single large-pot preparation. The recipe yields 6 servings, making the batch size clear for planning meals or serving a group.

Its protein-forward profile comes from the meat, cottage cheese, Parmesan, mozzarella, and the overall combination of ingredients. One bowl contains 46 g of protein according to the provided nutrition information. The recipe also includes an optional gluten-free direction through the noodle choice, so the pasta can be selected according to that need. Another recipe you may want to try is Creamy Gnocchi Chicken Soup..

There is useful flexibility without changing the basic identity of the soup: choose ground beef, ground chicken Italian sausage, or both; select from several noodle shapes; and use non-fat, low-fat, or full-fat options for the cottage cheese and mozzarella where specified.

Pro Tips for Success

A few technique choices keep the process organized and help preserve the intended texture and seasoning. For more inspiration, see High Protein Broccoli Cheddar Soup.

• Give the onion the full sautéing time, about 5 minutes, before adding the garlic. The onion should be translucent, while the garlic cooks for only 1 additional minute until fragrant.

• Break up the meat as it cooks over medium-high heat. Continue until it is well browned and no longer pink before moving on to the tomato paste and liquids.

• Cook the tomato paste for 2 minutes after stirring it into the meat. This ensures it is fully incorporated before the broth and marinara sauce are added.

• Choose the pasta method before measuring the broth. Use 4 cups of broth when the noodles are cooked separately; increase the broth to 8 cups when cooking pasta directly in the soup.

• Add the cottage cheese, spinach, Parmesan, and mozzarella near the end rather than during the 30-minute simmer. Reduce the heat first, then stir the cottage cheese until smooth, wilt the spinach, and mix in the shredded cheeses until melted.

• Taste the soup after the cheese has melted and adjust the seasoning if necessary. This final check comes before serving and follows the addition of the pasta if it was cooked separately.

Flavor and Texture

The finished bowl brings together a tomato-and-broth soup base with browned meat, noodles, spinach, and melted cheese. Cottage cheese is stirred into the hot soup until smoothly integrated, while Parmesan and mozzarella melt into the mixture near the end. Baby spinach is stirred in until wilted, adding a green element to the bowl. For another recipe idea, explore High Protein Loaded Potato Soup.

The final texture depends partly on the pasta choice and cooking method. Elbows, penne, or broken-up lasagna noodles can be used, and separately cooked pasta can be kept apart until serving. Optional ricotta, extra shredded cheese, basil, and red pepper flakes provide different finishing touches without changing the soup’s base.

Variations

The supported choices focus on the meat, cheese styles, noodles, and finishing toppings. You can also browse Cheeseburger Soup (20-Min Recipe) – Wholesome Yum for another option.

• Use lean ground beef, ground chicken Italian sausage, or a combination of both.

• Choose elbows, broken-up lasagna noodles, or penne. The noodles may be cooked directly in the soup or separately.

• Use low-fat, non-fat, or full-fat cottage cheese as specified.

• Use light, non-fat, or full-fat mozzarella as specified.

• For the gluten-free option, select noodles suited to that requirement.

• Finish individual bowls with ricotta, extra shredded cheese, fresh basil, or red pepper flakes. These toppings are optional.

The pasta choice also changes the broth direction: the instructions call for increasing the broth to 8 cups when pasta cooks directly in the soup, while separately cooked pasta is added later.

Troubleshooting

The main preparation issue addressed by the recipe is pasta texture during storage. If noodles become soggy, the supported fix is to cook them separately and keep them apart from the soup in airtight storage. Add the desired amount to the soup or directly to serving bowls when serving. Another recipe you may want to try is Creamy Tomato Orzo Soup with Mini Turkey Meatballs.

If pasta cooks directly in the soup, use the specified increase from 4 cups of broth to 8 cups. This adjustment belongs to the direct-cooking method and prevents using the separate-pasta liquid amount for the alternate approach.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to prepare this high-protein lasagna soup? Sauté the onion and garlic, brown and season the meat, incorporate the tomato paste, add the broth and marinara sauce, and simmer for 30 minutes. Finish with cottage cheese, spinach, Parmesan, and mozzarella, then add the pasta and toppings.

How do I know when the soup is ready? The meat should be well browned and no longer pink, the onion should be translucent, and the garlic should be fragrant. At the end, the spinach should be wilted and the Parmesan and mozzarella melted. Stir and taste for seasoning before serving.

What temperature should I use? Use medium heat for the olive oil, onion, and garlic; medium-high heat for browning the meat; then bring the broth-and-marinara mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer. Reduce the heat again before adding the cottage cheese, spinach, and cheeses.

How long does it take to make? The listed prep time is 10 minutes and the cook time is 40 minutes. The instructions include about 5 minutes for the onion, 1 additional minute for the garlic, 2 minutes for the tomato paste, and 30 minutes of simmering.

What equipment do I need? You need a large pot.

How should I store it? Cool the soup completely, then store it in airtight containers. Refrigerate it for 4–5 days. Keep separately cooked pasta apart from the soup to avoid sogginess.

Can I freeze it? Yes. Freeze suitable portions for 3–4 months, preferably without noodles, leaving space at the top for expansion. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or use the microwave defrost setting.

What substitutions work? The supported choices include ground beef, ground chicken Italian sausage, or a combination; different specified cottage cheese and mozzarella fat levels; and elbows, penne, or broken-up lasagna noodles. Ricotta, extra cheese, basil, and red pepper flakes are optional toppings.

Nutrition

Nutrition per serving:

• serving size: 1 bowl

• calories: 496 kcal

• fat: 14 g

• saturated fat: 5.7 g

• carbohydrates: 43 g

• fiber: 4 g

• sugar: 9.3 g

• protein: 46 g

• sodium: 1000 mg

• cholesterol: 106 mg