Soup Season

Winter is soup season! Now is the time for warm and filling comfort food. This recipe marries the elements of a delicious white chicken lasagna with the creamy goodness of a soup. You can substitute bow tie pasta or rotini for the lasagna noodles, if you have those on hand instead. To add a little extra heat, add some red pepper flakes. It’s also perfect to accompany your freshly-made sourdough bread!

Creamy Chicken Lasagna Soup

Ingredients:

1 medium yellow onion, diced

8 oz. cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1½ tsp. kosher salt, divided, plus more as needed

1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, plus more as needed

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed

3 c. shredded cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken is perfect)

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 carton (32 oz.) low-sodium chicken broth

1 c. water

8 oz. uncooked lasagna noodles (about 8 sheets)

2 c. baby spinach leaves

1/4 c. heavy cream

1/2 c. ricotta cheese

Preparation:

In large bowl, combine diced onion, sliced mushrooms, and minced garlic. In medium bowl, combine Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Place butter in large Dutch oven and melt over medium heat. Add onion mixture, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. Italian seasoning, and 1/4 tsp. black pepper. Cook until onions are translucent and mushrooms have begun to brown, approximately 12-14 minutes. Sprinkle flour into mixture and stir until no dry spots remain. Slowly pour in chicken broth and water, stirring to combine and scraping any brown bits from bottom of pan. Season chicken with remaining salt (if needed) and add to pot. Adjust heat to maintain a simmer and cook until chicken is warmed through. Break lasagna noodles into bite-sized pieces and add to soup. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until noodles are cooked al dente, approximately 10-14 minutes (or according to package instructions). Add spinach leaves, heavy cream, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Cook, stirring constantly, until spinach wilts and cheeses melt, about 1-2 minutes. Taste and season as desired. Ladle into bowls, top with a dollop of ricotta cheese and a sprinkle of Italian seasoning. Enjoy!