This dreamy dairy free lasagna soup tastes just like the classic Italian dish you know and love without any of the hassle! With tender noodles, ground beef and a homemade cashew ricotta cheese, it’s cozy and satisfying. Egg free and soy free with a gluten free option included.

As much as I love a really good dairy free lasagna, it’s not exactly something that can be whipped up quickly during the week.

Which brings us to today and this incredible dairy free lasagna soup.

It’s everything you know and love about the classic dish without ANY of the hassle. 

We’re talking tender noodles, hearty ground beef, a rich marinara broth … plus some fantastic cashew ricotta cheese for dolloping over the top. 

All in an easy weeknight meal that can be on the table with minimal effort in about 45 minutes. I call that a win.

Substitutions

• A different ground meat of choice will work just fine instead of the ground beef. Try ground pork, turkey, chicken or sausage (be sure to check the ingredients – some sausage blends contain dairy!).
• You can swap out the low-sodium chicken broth for low-sodium vegetable or beef broth.
• Instead of the lasagna noodles, you can use mafalda shaped pasta (about 6 to 7 ounces) – it’s very similar to broken up lasagna noodles. 
• A different green of choice will also work instead of the spinach – baby arugula or baby kale would be delicious here.
• You can absolutely go with a different dairy free milk (or even water) instead of the almond milk in the cashew ricotta.
• Finally, if you don’t want to make the homemade ricotta topping, try a store-bought dairy free alternative instead.

Tips & Tricks

1. If your ground beef (or other ground meat of choice) is very lean, you may need to add some oil to the pot when cooking.
2. For the ricotta topping – if you forget to soak your cashews overnight, use the following quick soak method instead. Add the cashews to a heatproof bowl, then cover with boiling water. Let soak for 30 minutes to 1 hour, then proceed with the recipe.
3. I highly, highly, recommend using a high speed blender as the cashews will blend up so smooth and creamy. You can certainly try using a regular blender, just keep in mind it will take longer to smooth out and won’t have a perfect consistency. I’ve found cashew based sauces can be a bit grainy / strange in texture with a regular blender – they just don’t have enough power.
4. Because of the pasta noodles in the soup, the broth will thicken even further for leftovers. If desired, you can stir in some extra broth when reheating to thin it back out.

How To Store

Fridge: Let the soup cool completely then transfer to an airtight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The ricotta topping will also keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 5 to 7 days.

I like to store the soup and the topping separately, but you can also stir the ricotta into the soup and keep it that way as well. 

Additional Dairy Free Italian Recipes:

• Dairy Free Zuppa Toscana
• Dairy Free Tuscan Chicken
• Dairy Free Baked Ziti
• Dairy Free Baked Spaghetti
• Dairy Free Bolognese
• Dairy Free Vodka Sauce

Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.

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Dairy Free Lasagna Soup

Yield: about 6 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

This dreamy dairy free lasagna soup tastes just like the classic Italian dish you know and love without any of the hassle! With tender noodles, ground beef and a homemade cashew ricotta cheese, it’s cozy and satisfying.

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Ingredients

For the soup:

• 1 pound ground beef (I use 85/15)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• ½ teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 8 to 9 uncooked lasagna noodles (about 6 to 7 ounces), broken into bite-sized pieces*
• 3 cups lightly packed baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped

For the ricotta topping:

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight**
• ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast 
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon onion powder 
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder 
• ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• chopped fresh basil, for serving

Instructions

For the soup:

1. Set a large stockpot or dutch oven over medium / medium high heat. When hot, add in the ground beef and onion. Cook, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes. 
2. Add in the tomato paste and garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.  
3. Stir in the bell pepper, zucchini, crushed tomatoes, broth, water, basil, thyme, oregano, parsley, salt and pepper. 
4. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Add in the lasagna pieces, then turn down the heat and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the pasta is tender. 
5. Stir in the spinach until wilted, then remove from the heat. 
6. Let the soup stand for about 15 minutes (the broth will thicken slightly during this time as the noodles soak up some of the liquid), then taste and season with additional salt and pepper as desired (I usually add about ½ teaspoon more salt but this will depend on your broth). 

For the ricotta topping:

1. While the soup is cooling, drain and rinse the cashews, then add to a high-speed blender along with all the other ingredients.
2. Blend on high until completely smooth and creamy (stopping as needed to scrape down the sides), about 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt as desired (I usually add about ⅛ teaspoon more).
3. Ladle some of the soup into a bowl, then top with a generous amount of the cashew ricotta and a sprinkle of fresh basil.

Notes

*To keep this gluten free, use gluten free lasagna noodles. To keep this egg free, be sure to use egg free noodles.

**Add the cashews to a small bowl and cover with water. Allow to soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or overnight. If you forget to soak your cashews, a quick soak method is included in the tips & tricks section in the post above. Please also note you really need a high-speed blender for the ricotta topping (more information is also included in the post).

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 466Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 685mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 5gSugar: 6gProtein: 34g

Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.