Vegan Lasagna Soup with White Beans
Lasagna lovers, meet your new favorite cozy dinner: vegan lasagna soup! This recipe captures everything you love about classic lasagna-tender noodles, hearty tomato sauce, savory vegetables, and creamy, dairy-free ricotta alternative-but transforms it into a one-pot soup that's easier and faster to make. It's a nourishing plant-based meal that's weeknight friendly and great for anytime you're craving comfort food with a twist.
Unlike traditional lasagna, there's no layering or baking required. Instead, white beans, mushrooms, and spinach simmer in an herby tomato broth while pasta cooks separately and gets stirred in at the end. The best part? A dollop of dairy-free macadamia nut ricotta takes it over the top, adding richness and creaminess in every spoonful.
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This vegan lasagna soup is a delicious mash-up of two classic comfort foods: lasagna and tomato soup. It has all the bold, Italian-inspired flavors of a traditional baked lasagna, but comes together in a big pot on the stovetop for far less effort. The addition of white beans gives the soup extra protein and fiber, while mushrooms bring umami depth, and spinach adds nutritious greens.
For the creamy element, I like to make a quick macadamia nut ricotta, which blends up smooth and fluffy with lemon juice and nutritional yeast. With a tangy, ricotta-like texture that's great for dolloping on top of soup, spreading on toast, or adding to pasta dishes.
If you love hearty soups like my Creamy Vegan Potato Soup, Instant Pot Black Bean Soup with Sweet Potatoes, Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder with Oat Milk, or Vegetarian Butternut Squash Minestrone Soup, this lasagna-inspired version is another great one to keep in your cozy meal rotation. It's a flexible recipe that can be prepped ahead and stored in the fridge for easy reheating throughout the week.
If you're looking for more make-ahead meal ideas, check out my roundups of Easy Vegetarian Lunch Ideas for Work and 50+ vegetarian meal prep ideas.
Ingredients
The key ingredients in this vegan lasagna soup work together to create a hearty, flavor-packed bowl. Broken lasagna noodles mimic the layers of traditional lasagna while keeping things easy and weeknight-friendly. A base of onion, mushrooms, and garlic builds rich, savory depth, enhanced by classic Italian herbs like oregano, rosemary, and thyme. Crushed tomatoes and tomato paste bring concentrated tomato flavor, balanced with vegetable broth for a delicious soup base. White beans add a boost of plant-based protein and creaminess, while frozen spinach provides an easy way to include greens.
The macadamia nut ricotta is what makes this soup feel extra special. It's rich, creamy, and completely dairy-free. Soaked macadamia nuts provide the silky base, blending into a smooth texture that's surprisingly similar to traditional ricotta. A touch of lemon juice adds brightness, while nutritional yeast brings a subtlye cheesy flavor. Garlic and onion powder round out the flavor with a savory note. It's simple to make but adds a decadent finish that makes the soup extra comforting.
Substitutions
- Noodles: Swap lasagna noodles with rotini, rigatoni, or another short pasta if you prefer.
- Macadamia nuts: substitute cashews or blanched slivered almonds. You can also use regular ricotta cheese of you're not vegan/dairy-free.
- Beans: If you don't have white cannellini beans, substitute chickpeas or great northern beans. The 1 ½ cups of beans needed are roughly equivalent to one 15-ounce can (drained and rinsed), and you can use either dry or canned beans for this recipe.
- Spinach: Substitute 1 ½ cups fresh, chopped spinach for the frozen block of spinach if desired. You can also make this soup with kale, collards, or any other type of fresh greens you already have on hand.
- Oil: Any neutral cooking oil can be used.
Making Ahead and Storage
If you are making this recipe in advance, store the soup, noodles, and ricotta separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. This prevents the pasta from soaking up too much liquid.
Reheat the soup on the stovetop, then stir in the cooked noodles before serving.
The macadamia ricotta also keeps well in the fridge for up to 1 week.
FAQ
Lasagna soup has all the same flavors you'd expect from classic lasagna, just in a brothier format. This vegan version is made with lasagna noodles, mushrooms, onion, garlic, canned tomatoes, vegetable broth, white beans, and spinach. Herbs like oregano, rosemary, and thyme infuse the broth with Italian-inspired flavor, and it's finished with a dollop of macadamia nut ricotta.
The most common mistake is overcooking the noodles, whoch can cause them to turn mushy after sitting in the broth. To avoid this, keep them al dente and add them to the soup just before serving (or store separately if making ahead). Another common issue is under-seasoning. This soup shines when the herbs, salt, and pepper are balanced to taste. Lastly, don't skip the creamy topping! Ricotta adds richness and rounds out the flavors.
Lasagna itself is a traditional Italian dish, but lasagna soup is a more modern, American-inspired take. It uses a similar flavor profile, with tomatoes, herbs, noodles, and creamy cheese, but presents it in a hearty and comforting soup form. While you probably won't find lasagna soup on a menu in Italy, it's a fun, flavorful way to enjoy lasagna-inspired flavors in a simple, weeknight-friendly meal.
Lasagna soup is hearty enough to stand alone, but it pairs well with sides, too. Try serving it with crusty bread, garlic knots, or focaccia to soak up the flavorful broth. A simple side salad with lemony vinaigrette or roasted vegetables can also balance the richness of the soup.
Want even more Plant-Based meal inspiration?
If you're looking for more ideas beyond this lasagna soup, I've put together a free list of 100+ nourishing meals and snacks to make meal planning easier. These recipes are simple, satisfying, and full of variety.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Lasagna Soup
Equipment
- 8-quart (or larger) soup pot
- High-speed blender
Ingredients
Soup:
- 8 ounces lasagna noodles, broken into pieces (about 9 noodles)
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil or cooking oil of choice
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cups (8 ounces) sliced baby bella mushrooms
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons crushed rosemary
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 ½ cups cooked white beans (also called cannellini beans)
- 1 (9-ounce) block frozen spinach (not thawed)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Macadamia Nut Ricotta:
- 1 ½ cups macadamia nuts, soaked 2-4 hours (see note 1)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
Optional Garnish:
- Fresh basil leaves
- Fresh parsley
- Crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
Prepare the soup:
- Boil lasagna noodles in an 8-quart (or larger) pot of salted water for 12 minutes, or until al dente, stirring occasionally. Drain noodles and set aside.
- Return the pot to the stovetop and reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the oil and onion and cook for 4 minutes, or until translucent.
- Stir in mushrooms and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, or until the mushrooms darken.
- Stir in oregano, rosemary, and thyme and cook for 2 minutes, or until the herbs are fragrant.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, vegetable broth, and water. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and stir in white beans and spinach. Cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and using a wooden spoon to break apart the spinach as it thaws.
- Once the spinach is thawed and the flavors of the soup have melded together, turn off the heat and stir in the cooked lasagna noodles. (If the noodles are sticking, pull them apart before adding to the pot.) Add salt and pepper to taste and stir until the soup is evenly mixed.
Prepare the macadamia nut ricotta:
- Drain the macadamia nuts from the soaking liquid and transfer them to a blender. Add lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder to the blender. Cover and blend on high for 2 minutes, or until the nuts are fully pureed and creamy. Pause to scrape the edges of the blender with a spatula as needed. (If the nuts aren't blending, add a tablespoon of water and blend again. Repeat as needed, using as little water as possible. A high-speed blender works best for this recipe.)
Serve:
- Divide the lasagna soup between bowls and spoon the macadamia nut ricotta into each bowl. Garnish with fresh basil and parsley and crushed red pepper flakes if desired.
Notes
- To soak macadamia nuts, pour them into a medium bowl and cover with water. Place a paper towel or clean dishcloth on top of the bowl and allow the nuts to soak at room temperature for 2-4 hours.
- Meal Prep and Storage: If you are making this recipe in advance, do not add the cooked lasagna noodles to the soup until you are ready to serve. Store the soup, lasagna noodles, and macadamia nut ricotta in separate, airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
