High Fiber Lasagna Soup

Welcome back to OnlyCans where we take cans of beans and turn them into AH-mazing recipes! This high fiber lasagna soup uses a hidden-bean method. An entire can of cannellini beans is blended right into the tomato broth until completely smooth, with no whole beans in sight. Broken lasagna noodles cook directly in the creamy broth and each bowl is finished with ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano, and plenty of fresh basil.

It has all those classic lasagna flavors in soup form, only this version is meatless by default and gets its creamy texture from blended white beans instead of cream. (And you can’t even taste the beans!) The result is a hearty comforting bowl with tender noodles, a rich tomato base, and the classic cheesy finish you crave from lasagna. It’s pure coziness in a bowl.

If you love this dish, you may want to try more OnlyCans recipes like our Viral Scoopable Salad with Creamy Feta Dressing.

Before you start

• This High Fiber Lasagna Soup from the OnlyCans series transforms a can of cannellini beans into a creamy, hearty meal by blending them directly into the tomato broth.
• Broken lasagna noodles cook right in the soup, and each bowl is finished with ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano, and fresh basil for classic lasagna flavor.
• The dish is meatless by default and gets its rich, smooth texture entirely from blended white beans — no cream required.
• It’s a cozy, customizable one-pot meal that delivers all the comfort of lasagna in soup form.

What stands out

It’s creamy without the cream: Cannellini beans are blended completely into the tomato broth, giving this creamy lasagna soup a smooth, thick texture without adding heavy cream.

Lasagna comfort in a bowl: Broken lasagna noodles, ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano, tomato, garlic, and basil bring together all the familiar flavors of lasagna in a warm, cozy meal.

Meatless by default: This version doesn’t include meat. If you’d like to keep it vegetarian, be sure to use vegetable broth.

straightforward to customize: Spinach is optional, and you can also experiment with extra vegetables or add extra protein.

Ingredients

Makes 3 servings

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ½ tablespoon dried oregano
• pinch of red chili flakes, optional
• 1 ¾ cups Italian Tomato Sauce, or canned crushed tomatoes
• small handful fresh basil leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried basil, plus more fresh basil leaves for garnish
• one 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (1 1/2 cups)
• 4 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 Parmigiano Reggiano rinds, (optional)
• 6 ounces (170 g) oven-ready lasagna noodles, each noodle broken into eights (about ⅔ of a 9-ounce box)
• 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped (about 1 BIG handful), optional
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 6 tablespoons whole milk ricotta cheese
• 6 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Equipment

• Measuring Cups + Spoons
• Medium Pot
• Stick Blender
• Blender
• Soup Pot

Method

1. Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until light brown, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for about 1 minute. Add the dried oregano and chili flakes (if using) and cook for another minute. Turn off the heat. Add the tomato sauce, fresh basil, beans, broth, and salt and pepper to taste.
2. Using an immersion blender blend until a completely smooth broth forms. Alternatively, transfer the contents of the pot to a blender and process until smooth. If using a blender, return the blended broth to the pot and place over medium-high heat.
3. Once the broth reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium, keeping at a steady simmer. Add the Parmigiano Reggiano rinds (if using), to infuse the soup with flavor. Add the broken lasagna noodles. Stir the noodles constantly for the first 3 minutes of cooking, to prevent them from sticking together. After 3 minutes, cover the pot and let cook, stirring occasionally to keep the noodles from sticking. The noodles take about 6 to 8 minutes total until cooked.
4. Turn off the heat. Add the spinach (if using) and 1 tablespoon grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and stir for 1 minute, until the spinach wilts. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed.
5. Ladle the soup into bowls and add 1 tablespoon ricotta to each bowl. Stir the ricotta into the warm soup or leave it as a scooped garnish. Garnish each bowl with 1 tablespoon grated Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh basil leaves and serve.

Kitchen notes

Noodles:

Make sure you are using “oven-ready” lasagna noodles, which cook faster than traditional lasagna noodles take. If using traditional noodles, you may need to cook them for up to 12 minutes. After about 6 minutes of cooking time, taste a tiny section of noodles every few minutes to test for doneness. Vegan: Make this vegan by using a creamy, scoopable vegan cheese in place of the ricotta, and a grated, salty vegan cheese in place of the Parm. Beans: You can use chickpeas or butter beans instead of cannellini. Reheating: The soup will thicken a lot as it cools. When reheating the soup, add ½ to 1 cup water to loosen the broth. Meat protein: If you want to add meat, add about ½ pound ground pork, ground beef, or mild or hot Italian sausages (casings removed) along with the garlic. Cook, using a wooden spoon to break the meat into small pieces, until no pink remains, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the garlicky meat to a plate, then resume making the soup per the recipe instructions. Add the cooked meat back to the soup along with the spinach. Veggies: You can add all kinds of veggies to this soup. Cubed zucchini, strips of bell pepper, or sliced mushrooms are all great. Give the veggies about 5 minutes of cooking time, along with the lasagna noodles. Freezing: The soup reheats well but will not freeze well. The noodles will take on a gummy texture.

Ingredients and Smart Swaps

Cannellini beans: The secret to that creamy broth! The beans get blended right into the tomatoes until completely smooth, so you get all that creamy texture without whole beans floating around. Chickpeas or butter beans will work too.

Tomatoes and broth: Italian Tomato Sauce (or crushed tomatoes) and low-sodium broth make up the base of the soup. Use vegetable broth to keep it meatless, or chicken broth if that’s what you have on hand.

Garlic and herbs: Garlic, tomato paste, oregano, and basil bring all those iconic Italian flavors. Fresh basil is beautiful here, but dried basil works too.

Lasagna noodles: Oven-ready lasagna noodles are best for the quick cook time in this recipe. If you’re using traditional lasagna noodles, they’ll need a little longer, so taste for doneness as you cook.

Spinach: Totally optional, but we love the pop of green! Stir it in right at the end so it wilts into the hot soup.

Ricotta and Parmigiano Reggiano: This is where the lasagna magic happens. A little Parmigiano gets stirred into the pot, then each bowl gets a scoop of creamy ricotta, more Parmigiano, and fresh basil on top.

Red chili flakes: Optional, but if you like a little heat. Add a pinch or measure with your heart.

Kitchen tip

Don’t just trust the clock—taste as you cook! Start tasting the noodles around the 6-minute mark and keep cooking until they’re perfectly tender. Traditional lasagna noodles may need closer to 12 minutes.

Variations for High Fiber Lasagna Soup

1. Make it vegan: Use vegetable broth, replace the ricotta with a creamy, scoopable vegan cheese, and use a salty grated vegan cheese instead of Parmigiano Reggiano.
2. Go gluten-free: You’ll want to check the labels on the noodles and any other packaged ingredients to make sure they fit your needs.
3. Add meat: If you want a meatier lasagna soup, you can use about ½ pound ground pork, ground beef, or casing-free Italian sausage.
4. Add more veggies: Cubed zucchini, strips of bell pepper, or sliced mushrooms can be added along with the noodles. They take about 5 minutes depending on how tender you like them.

What to Serve With Lasagna Soup

• A fresh Simple Green Salad is a great option to balance the richness of the soup.
• Serve the soup with cheesy garlic bread for dipping into that creamy tomato broth.
• Our Tiramisu Recipe is the dessert.

Storage and Reheating

This soup thickens quite a bit as it cools because the lasagna noodles continue to absorb the broth.

When reheating add ½ to 1 cup of water as needed to loosen the soup back to the brothy consistency you like.

We don’t recommend freezing the fully assembled soup. The lasagna noodles can become gummy after freezing and thawing.

Troubleshooting Tips

• Our noodles are sticking together. Make sure you’re stirring constantly during the first three minutes after adding the noodles. Once they begin to soften and separate, you can switch to stirring occasionally.
• Our soup got thick. That’s expected as the pasta absorbs more broth. If you’re reheating leftovers, stir in ½ to 1 cup of water to loosen the consistency.
• Our noodles are still firm. Keep cooking them and taste a small piece to check the texture. Traditional lasagna noodles may need more time than oven-ready noodles.
• We can still see pieces of beans. Keep blending until the broth is smooth and no whole beans are visible.

Questions

Can you taste the beans in this lasagna soup?

No! The cannellini beans are blended into the tomato broth rather than left whole, so they add body without visible bean pieces.

Do we need oven-ready lasagna noodles?

Oven-ready noodles are better because they have a short cook time. Traditional lasagna noodles may take up to 12 minutes. To check for doneness, start tasting a small piece after about 6 minutes and continue until the noodles are cooked to your liking.

Can we use another kind of bean?

Yes. You can use chickpeas or butter beans instead of cannellini beans.

Can we make this soup vegan?

Yes! Use vegetable broth, a creamy scoopable vegan cheese in place of the ricotta, and a salty grated vegan cheese in place of the Parmigiano Reggiano. Check that your chosen noodles and other packaged ingredients are vegan, too.

Can we freeze lasagna soup?

We do not recommend freezing this soup, as the noodles can become gummy. For leftovers, keep in mind the pasta absorbs broth as it sits, so add ½ to 1 cup water when reheating to loosen it.