Good morning, my dear friends, from a beautiful, cool Sunday here in Khenifra! Today, I am sharing one of my absolute favorite health dinner recipes—a meal that proves you can have the ultimate comfort food while still nourishing your body. Get ready for my High Protein Lasagna Soup! Imagine all the rich, savory, and cheesy flavors of a classic lasagna, deconstructed into a simple, slurpable soup that is absolutely packed with protein to keep you full and fueled. It’s the perfect balance of soulful comfort and smart nutrition, making it one of the best healthy high protein meals you’ll ever try.
Serving Versatility
This glorious soup is a complete one-bowl wonder, making it absolutely perfect for healthy meal prep. It’s designed to be served hot and fresh with a creamy, high-protein ricotta topping that takes it over the top. It truly shines all on its own!
Full Recipe: My Healthy & Hearty Lasagna Soup
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 25 minutes
- Total time: 40 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Calories: Approximately 450 calories per serving (with over 35g of protein!)
Ingredients
For the Soup:
- 1 lb lean ground turkey or chicken (93/7)
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups bone broth (beef or chicken, for extra protein)
- 2 cups water or additional broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 6-8 lasagna noodles (regular, whole wheat, or protein pasta), broken into pieces
For the High-Protein Topping:
- ½ cup low-fat cottage cheese
- ½ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or parsley
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or pot, cook the lean ground turkey and chopped onion over medium-high heat until the meat is browned and the onion has softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for one more minute until fragrant. Drain any excess fat.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, bone broth, water, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Cover and let the soup simmer for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- While the soup simmers, cook the broken lasagna noodles in a separate pot of salted water according to package directions. Drain and set aside. (See Pro Tips for why we do this!)
- Prepare the topping: In a small food processor or blender, blend the cottage cheese until completely smooth. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the ricotta, Parmesan, and fresh herbs. This is the secret to a perfect protein dinner!
- To serve, place a portion of the cooked noodles in a bowl. Ladle the hot soup over the top. Finish with a generous dollop of the high-protein ricotta mixture.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick preparation: This simple, one-pot lasagna soup recipe is ready in about 40 minutes, making it perfect for a weeknight.
- Budget-friendly ingredients: It uses accessible ingredients to create a delicious and macro-friendly meal.
- Big, cozy flavor: It has all the comforting, savory flavors of traditional lasagna without the guilt. It’s one of my favorite high protein recipes!
- Nutritional value: This is the star of the show! It’s packed with lean protein from the turkey, bone broth, and clever cottage cheese topping.
- Customizability: This is a perfect recette santé (healthy recipe) that you can customize. Add a few handfuls of spinach or chopped zucchini for extra fiber and nutrients.
Cultural or Cooking Technique Note
This recipe is a perfect example of the modern “macro-friendly” approach to cooking. This style takes classic, beloved comfort foods and gives them a nutritional makeover with smart ingredient swaps. In this soup, we replace high-fat meat with lean turkey, use nutrient-dense bone broth instead of regular stock, and sneak protein-packed cottage cheese into the ricotta topping. It’s a brilliant way to enjoy the dishes you love while supporting your health and fitness goals, proving that a satisfying health dinner can also be your favorite comfort food.
Serving Suggestions
- The Ultimate Protein Bowl: Serve as directed with a generous dollop of the high-protein ricotta topping and a sprinkle of fresh basil for a complete, satisfying meal.
- With a Hearty Side: Pair with a slice of whole-wheat garlic bread or a simple side salad with a light vinaigrette.
- Meal Prep Perfection: Portion the soup base into individual containers. Keep the cooked noodles and ricotta topping separate. It’s the easiest grab-and-go lunch for the week!
- A Little Kick: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the soup or on top for a gentle touch of heat.
Pro Tips for Success
- Cook Noodles Separately: This is my number one tip, especially for healthy meal prep! Cooking the noodles on the side and adding them to each bowl when serving prevents them from getting mushy and absorbing all the delicious broth overnight.
- Smooth Out the Cottage Cheese: For the creamiest, dreamiest ricotta topping with no lumps, blend the cottage cheese in a small blender or food processor until it’s perfectly smooth before you mix it with the ricotta.
- Boost with Bone Broth: Using bone broth instead of regular chicken or vegetable broth is an easy, flavorless way to add a significant boost of protein and collagen to your soup.
- Don’t Skip the Simmer: Even though it’s a quick recipe, letting the soup base simmer for at least 15 minutes is crucial for allowing the tomato and herb flavors to deepen and meld together.
Storage & Reheating
This soup is perfect for meal prep! Store the soup base in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. Store the cooked noodles and the ricotta topping in separate containers. To reheat, simply warm up a portion of the soup in the microwave or on the stovetop, and assemble with the noodles and topping right before eating.
Closing Paragraph
I am so genuinely excited for you to try this amazing High Protein Lasagna Soup! It’s one of those healthy soup recipes that truly satisfies on every level: it’s delicious, it’s comforting, and it makes you feel great. It’s proof that you never have to sacrifice flavor to eat well. Please give it a try, and let me know what you think by leaving a rating and a comment below!
🎀 Final Thoughts
This soup is my secret weapon for staying on track when all I want is a big bowl of pasta! It’s so hearty and flavorful that it completely satisfies my comfort food cravings, but it also fuels my body for the day ahead. It’s a true win-win, and it makes me so happy to know that healthy food can be this delicious. I hope you love it!