This easy lasagna soup by ‘The Pioneer Woman’ star Ree Drummond is one of my favorite fall comfort dishes

• I made the lasagna soup recipe of Ree Drummond, the star of “The Pioneer Woman.”
• The dish features lasagna noodles, ground beef, pork, and plenty of herbs and cheese.
• Drummond’s lasagna soup is hearty, meaty, cheesy, and so comforting on chilly nights.

There isn’t much to love about colder weather, at least in my humble opinion. But one thing I can always get behind is the full embrace of comfort food.

And what’s more comforting than pasta or soup? Well, what about pasta and soup?

After seeing lasagna soup all over my TikTok and Instagram feeds, I decided it was finally time to try the dish. And who better to lead the way than Ree Drummond, also known as the Pioneer Woman?

Ree Drummond’s lasagna soup is packed with herbs, meat, and cheese.

To make 8-10 servings of Drummond’s lasagna soup, you’ll need:

• 12 uncooked lasagna noodles
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound pork sausage, casings removed
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can of whole tomatoes with juice
• 1 yellow onion, halved and sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 sprigs thyme, minced
• 1 sprig oregano, minced
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• ¾ cup white wine (or stock)
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, plus more for serving

For the ricotta dumplings, you’ll need:

• 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon minced parsley
• 1 tablespoon minced basil, plus more for garnish
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

First, I chopped all my veggies and herbs.

Compared to some soups I’ve made, such as Ina Garten’s chicken chili, there’s very little prep for Drummond’s recipe.

All I had to do was slice the onions, chop some parsley, and mince my garlic, thyme, and oregano.

Then I added the olive oil to a big pot and threw in my onion, garlic, oregano, and thyme.

I cooked the veggies and herbs over medium heat for about two minutes, stirring occasionally, until they started to soften.

I added the meat, ensuring that the beef and pork were seasoned with salt and pepper.

I increased the heat to medium-high before adding the ground beef and sausage, which I seasoned with one teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of black pepper.

I let the meat cook for about five minutes.

I broke up the beef and sausage with a meat masher, which made this step super quick; however, you can also use a wooden spoon.

Drummond recommends draining off “at least half of the grease” once your meat is ready.

Then I added the tomato paste …

I stirred everything in the pot and let the tomato paste cook for one minute.

… and the white wine.

I stirred everything together again, allowing the wine to deglaze the bottom of the pot.

Then I threw in the can of whole tomatoes with their juice.

Drummond’s recipe calls for a 14.5-ounce can, but I could only find 28-ounce cans at the store. I decided to use the entire can so my soup would have even more broth.

I crushed the whole tomatoes with a wooden spoon as I stirred everything together.

I also added the chicken stock.

Now my pot was starting to look like a soup!

I added the parsley, then brought my broth to a boil.

Once my soup was boiling, I reduced the heat so it could simmer.

Drummond recommends simmering your soup for 20 minutes. I had some extra time and wanted the flavors to develop a little longer, so I opted for 40 minutes instead.

While my soup was simmering, I cooked the lasagna noodles.

Drummond’s recipe calls for 12 lasagna noodles, but I used the entire box. I have a strict No Noodle Left Behind policy.

I filled a pot with salted water and brought it to a boil, breaking the noodles into smaller pieces as I added them.

Drummond says you should let the noodles cook for about a minute less than the package instructions, until they’re almost tender, so I cooked my pasta for nine minutes total.

After draining the noodles, I drizzled some olive oil on top to prevent them from sticking together. I had a feeling my broth would need far more liquid once I added the noodles, so I also saved the pasta water.

I also prepped the herbs for my ricotta dumplings.

All I needed to do was mince some more parsley and basil.

Once the soup finished simmering, I added the heavy cream.

My soup was almost ready!

Then I added the lasagna noodles, along with a few extra ladles of pasta water.

I let the soup simmer for five minutes after adding the noodles and pasta water.

I made the ricotta dumplings while the soup continued to simmer.

I added the ricotta and Parmesan cheeses to a bowl, along with the chopped parsley and basil.

I seasoned the mixture with salt and pepper and stirred everything together, molding it into one big ball I could scoop my little dumplings out of.

I served each bowl with dollops of ricotta dumplings, plus a sprinkle of basil on top.

This is such an impressive-looking soup.

I loved how the white ricotta dumplings popped against the deep-red broth of the soup, and the sprinkle of basil on top was a nice touch. The curves of the lasagna noodles peeking through the surface made my bowl look especially inviting.

I opted for small dumplings because I liked their presentation, but you could also use big dollops if you prefer.

The Pioneer Woman’s lasagna soup is comforting and perfect for a chilly night.

Drummond’s lasagna soup is deliciously hearty, and that first spoonful of meat, pasta, and cheese instantly warmed my soul.

The broth needs more salt to taste, but it goes so well with the creamy ricotta dumplings. I recommend really mixing them into the broth to give your soup even more of a flavor punch, and make sure to break the noodles into smaller pieces so they’re easier to pick up with each spoonful.

I made this for my fiancé, Peter, and our friends Kayla and Oliver. They decreed this another win in my ongoing mission to find the best soup recipes.

“It’s quite literally lasagna but in a comforting soup format,” Peter said. “The best of both worlds.”

Oliver also had the idea to make the soup with ravioli or tortellini instead, which I think is a fabulous recommendation.

Whether you’re looking to destress or just want a cozy night in, Drummond’s lasagna soup is the comfort dinner of dreams.

Read the original article on Business Insider

The post This easy lasagna soup by ‘The Pioneer Woman’ star Ree Drummond is one of my favorite fall comfort dishes appeared first on Business Insider.