High Protein Lasagna Soup – Easy One-Pot Healthy Dinner

So, um, I’ve been trying to eat healthier lately (don’t judge me, it’s September and I’m still working on those New Year’s resolutions), and this High Protein Lasagna Soup basically saved my weeknight dinners. Look, I’m gonna be honest—I stumbled onto this recipe when I was desperately trying to meal prep something that wasn’t sad chicken and rice. Again.

My trainer keeps saying I need more protein, and my kids keep asking for lasagna, but who has time to layer all that stuff? Not me. Definitely not on a Tuesday when everyone’s hangry and I forgot to defrost anything. So I threw a bunch of ingredients in a pot, crossed my fingers, and boom—accidental genius happened.

This High Protein Lasagna Soup is basically all the good parts of regular lasagna without the drama or the hour-long wait time. Plus it packs like 30 grams of protein per serving, which makes me feel less guilty about the cheese situation.

Why This High Protein Lasagna Soup Actually Works :

Here’s the thing about this soup—it’s ridiculously forgiving. I’ve messed it up three different ways (once I forgot the pasta entirely, don’t ask), and it still turned out good. The secret is using lean ground turkey or chicken, cottage cheese (trust me on this), and bone broth if you can find it.

The protein comes from multiple sources, which my nutritionist friend explained is way better than just relying on meat. You’ve got the lean protein from turkey, the casein protein from cottage cheese, and extra collagen from bone broth. Sounds fancy, right? It’s not. It’s basically throwing protein at a pot until something sticks.

What I love most is that this High Protein Lasagna Soup cooks in one pot. No separate pasta water boiling, no ricotta mixing bowls everywhere, no layering stress. Just dump, stir, wait thirty minutes, and pretend you’re a meal prep goddess.

My neighbor Lisa asked for this recipe after I brought her some when she had the flu. Now she makes it twice a week and keeps texting me pictures of her modifications. She adds zucchini. I add extra cheese. We’re both right.

Shopping for High Protein Lasagna Soup Ingredients :

Okay, so ingredient shopping for this. I’ve tried probably fifteen different variations by now (my family’s been very patient), and here’s what actually matters:

The Protein Base:

• 1.5 lbs lean ground turkey (99% lean if you can find it, 93% works too)
• 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese (don’t you dare skip this)
• 4-5 cups chicken bone broth (regular chicken broth works fine)

The Aromatics:

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 4-5 garlic cloves, minced (I use more because I’m obsessed)
• 1 tbsp olive oil

The Tomato Situation:

• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
• 1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste (the good stuff in a tube, not the tiny can)

The Seasonings:

• 2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp flour

The Pasta:

• 8-10 lasagna noodles (break them up, obviously)
• Or use whatever pasta shape you have. I won’t tell.

The Cheese Glory:

• 1¼ cups shredded mozzarella (get the good stuff, not the plastic-looking kind)
• ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan
• Extra for serving because why not

The Green Stuff:

• 2-3 cups fresh baby spinach (frozen works but squeeze it dry first)
• 2 tbsp fresh basil for garnish

Speaking of shopping, good luck finding decent ground turkey that doesn’t cost a fortune. I’ve started buying it in bulk when it’s on sale and freezing it in meal-sized portions. Game changer.

How to Make High Protein Lasagna Soup :

Step 1: Brown the Turkey
Heat your biggest pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey and break it up with a wooden spoon—or whatever spoon you have, I’m not picky. Cook it until it’s actually brown, not just gray and sad. Takes about 6-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper while it’s cooking.

Pro tip: Don’t move the meat around too much at first. Let it get some color on it. I learned this from watching too many cooking shows during quarantine.

Step 2: Sauté the Aromatics
Remove the turkey and set it aside. In the same pot (don’t clean it, those brown bits are flavor gold), add olive oil and the diced onion. Cook for about 5 minutes until it’s soft and smells amazing. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Don’t burn the garlic—been there, done that, smoke alarm went off.

Step 3: Build the Base
Add the tomato paste and cook it for a minute until it darkens slightly. This is important—it gets rid of that metallic taste. Then add the diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and the cooked turkey back to the pot.

Step 4: Add Liquids and Seasonings
Pour in the bone broth, add the basil and Italian seasoning, and bring everything to a boil. Once it’s bubbling, add your broken lasagna noodles. Here’s where people mess up—break each noodle into 2-3 pieces first. Nobody wants to eat soup with a spoon and fight giant noodles.

Step 5: The Thickening Trick
While the noodles are cooking (about 12-15 minutes), make a quick roux. In a small pan, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Cook for a minute, then slowly add about a cup of the hot soup liquid, whisking constantly. This prevents the soup from being too thin later. Learned this trick from my mom.

Step 6: The Protein Boost
Once the noodles are tender, stir in the spinach (it’ll wilt immediately), then add your butter-flour mixture. Turn the heat to low and add the cottage cheese. I know, I know, cottage cheese sounds weird, but it melts into this creamy, protein-packed base that tastes like ricotta had a healthier sister.

Step 7: Cheese Heaven
Gradually stir in the mozzarella and half the Parmesan. Do this slowly or you’ll get stringy cheese clumps floating around. Been there. Not cute. Taste and adjust seasoning—it probably needs more salt than you think.

My Hard-Won Tips for Perfect High Protein Lasagna Soup :

After making this probably forty times (my family requests it constantly), here’s what I wish someone had told me:

About the Cottage Cheese: Don’t freak out about this ingredient. It blends in completely and adds about 14 grams of protein per cup. My picky 10-year-old has no idea it’s in there. If you absolutely can’t handle it, use ricotta, but you’ll lose some protein points.

Pasta Timing: Cook the noodles until they’re just barely tender. They’ll keep cooking in the hot soup, and mushy lasagna noodles are the worst. If you’re meal prepping this, slightly undercook them.

Broth Choices: Bone broth adds extra protein and makes the soup taste richer, but regular chicken broth works fine. I’ve even used vegetable broth when I was trying to use up pantry stuff. Still good.

Make-Ahead Magic: This soup is incredible fresh, but it gets thick in the fridge. Just add a splash of broth when reheating and stir well. Freezes okay for about 2 months, but the texture changes slightly. The cottage cheese can get a little grainy, but it still tastes good.

Protein Boost Hacks: Want even more protein? I sometimes add a scoop of unflavored collagen powder when I add the broth. You can’t taste it, and it bumps up the protein even more. My trainer would be so proud.

What Goes With This High Protein Lasagna Soup :

Honestly? This soup is filling enough on its own. One bowl has about 30 grams of protein and keeps you full for hours. But I usually make some garlic bread because I have zero self-control around carbs.

My kids eat this with way too much extra Parmesan sprinkled on top. My husband adds hot sauce to everything, including this. I’ve stopped fighting both battles. Life’s too short.

A simple side salad works if you’re trying to convince yourself this is a balanced meal. But let’s be real—this is comfort food that happens to be healthy. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need.

The Real Talk About This Healthy One-Pot Dinner :

Look, I make this High Protein Lasagna Soup at least twice a month now. It’s become my go-to when I need something that feels indulgent but won’t derail my attempt at eating better. Takes maybe 35 minutes start to finish, uses one pot, and tricks my brain into thinking I’m eating actual lasagna.

The protein content is legit—around 30 grams per serving depending on how heavy-handed you are with the cheese (and let’s be honest, we’re all heavy-handed with cheese). That’s more than most restaurant meals, and you know exactly what went into it.

My teenager, who claims to hate “healthy food,” asks for this regularly. My mother-in-law, who has opinions about everything I cook, admitted it was “surprisingly good.” From her, that’s basically a James Beard Award.

Is it exactly like regular lasagna? No. Is it better in some ways? Absolutely. You get all those familiar flavors without the guilt or the three-hour prep time. Plus you can customize it however you want—more vegetables, different cheeses, spicier seasonings. It’s basically a choose-your-own-adventure soup.

The best part is how foolproof this recipe is. I’ve accidentally doubled the garlic (amazing), forgotten the cottage cheese until the end (worked fine), and even used frozen spinach straight from the bag without thawing it first (also fine). It always turns out good. Maybe not perfect, but good enough that people keep asking for the recipe.

So there you have it—my not-so-secret High Protein Lasagna Soup recipe that’s basically saved my weeknight dinners and my attempt at eating like a grown-up. Try it on a night when you want comfort food but also want to hit your protein goals. And if you find any genius modifications, text me. I’m always looking for new ways to improve this masterpiece.

Happy cooking! (And may your cottage cheese blend seamlessly without anyone noticing!)