Butternut Squash Lasagna Soup with Kale & Mozzarella Recipe
This Butternut Squash Lasagna Soup with Kale & Mozzarella is a cozy and comforting soup perfect for fall. Featuring a creamy butternut squash base caramelized with garlic, brown sugar, and Italian seasoning, this soup includes hearty kale and perfectly cooked mafalda pasta. Finished with melty mozzarella cheese, it's a delightful twist on classic lasagna flavors served in a warm, bowl-friendly format.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American, Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Soup Base
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 medium Sweet Onion finely diced
- ¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 5 cloves Garlic roughly chopped
- 6 cups Butternut Squash (about 2 lbs)
- 2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 2 quarts Vegetable Broth
- 1 chunk Parmesan Rind
Pasta & Greens
- ½ lb Mafalda Pasta (or dried lasagna noodles) broken up
- 2 cups Fresh Kale
Finishing Touches
- ½ cup Heavy Cream
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar
- 1 cup Low Moisture Mozzarella (such as Land O' Lakes Mozzarella Farmstyle Shreds)
Instructions
- Sauté Onion & Garlic: Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add diced sweet onion, a pinch of salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 3 minutes until onion softens. Add chopped garlic and cook for an additional 3 minutes until fragrant.
- Brown Butternut Squash: Add cubed butternut squash, Italian seasoning, and another pinch of salt to the pot. Increase heat to medium-high and cook for 5 minutes or until the squash begins to caramelize.
- Add Broth and Simmer: Pour in vegetable broth and add the parmesan rind. Bring the soup to a boil and cook for 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Remove the parmesan rind before blending.
- Puree Soup: Use an immersion blender to blend about half of the soup until smooth, keeping some chunks for texture.
- Add Pasta and Simmer: Return the parmesan rind to the pot, add the broken mafalda pasta, and simmer for another 10 minutes or until the pasta is cooked al dente.
- Finish Soup: Turn off the heat, add fresh kale, heavy cream, and brown sugar. Stir well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve with Mozzarella: Ladle the soup into bowls and top each serving with a generous handful (about ½ cup) of shredded mozzarella cheese for a melty, cheesy finish.
Notes
- Any neutral oil can replace olive oil if preferred.
- For sweetness, use a sweet onion such as Vidalia.
- Red pepper flakes add subtle heat and depth but can be omitted if desired.
- Fresh garlic is preferred, but jarred minced garlic can be used as a substitute.
- Other hearty fall squashes can be experimented with in place of butternut squash.
- If you don't have Italian seasoning, mix dried rosemary, thyme, garlic powder, and parsley as a substitute.
- Chicken broth can replace vegetable broth for a different flavor.
- Parmesan rind adds umami and creaminess but can be skipped if unavailable.
- Regular broken lasagna noodles can be used instead of mafalda pasta.
- Kale can be swapped for fresh spinach or finely chopped broccoli for a different leafy green option.
- Heavy cream can be substituted with milk or coconut milk but may reduce richness.
- Brown sugar highlights the natural sweetness of squash but can be replaced with honey or omitted if preferred.
