Lasagna Soup

Ingredients:

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil (optional, for very lean beef or if using turkey)
  • 1-1.5 pounds lean ground beef or ground Italian sausage (use ground turkey for a lightened-up option)
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
  • 2 cups marinara sauce
  • 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 8 lasagna noodles (broken into bite-sized pieces)
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 cup ricotta
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
  • salt and pepper (to taste)
  • 1 cup grated mozzarella

Directions:

  1. Turn on the Sauté function on the Instant Pot and heat the olive oil, if using. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink (about 7-8 minutes), breaking it up into smaller pieces. Discard the excess oil, if needed (tip: you can use tongs and paper towel to soak it up, rather than draining it from the insert). Add the onion and garlic and sauté another couple minutes until they are starting to soften and become fragrant. Turn off the sauté function.
  2. Add a small amount of the broth and deglaze the bottom of the insert (using a spatula, scrape up any brown bits that are stuck). Add the remaining broth, marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, basil, parsley, onion powder, oregano, red pepper flakes, and dried rosemary. Add the broken lasagna noodles and push them down into the liquid until just submerged (do not stir). Put on the lid, set it to sealing and cook on Manual high pressure for 6 minutes. It will take about 20 minutes to come to pressure.
  3. At the end of pressure cooking time, quick release the pressure. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, ricotta and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then sprinkle mozzarella on top. Set the Instant Pot lid askew on the pot to allow the mozzarella to melt. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh parsley, if desired.

Notes:

  1. Add an extra cup of broth after pressure cooking if you prefer a higher liquid to noodle ratio.
  2. You can use 10 lasagna noodles for more of a deconstructed lasagna texture.
  3. For a lightened up version, use ground turkey and don’t stir in the ricotta or top it with mozzarella. Let each person garnish their own bowl with ricotta and mozzarella, if desired. 
  4. You may need to add more broth when reheating leftovers, because the noodles will continue to absorb the broth when refrigerated. 
  5. Inactive time indicates time for the Instant Pot to come to pressure.
  6. This recipe was tested in a 6-quart Instant Pot model. 
  7. This recipe makes 6 generous bowls. It will serve more people as a side dish.