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Venison Lasagna Soup is a perfect way to enjoy all the flavors and comfort of lasagna with less work! This soup will quickly become a family favorite, whether for a weeknight dinner or lazy weekend afternoon supper.
This post and recipe card updated February 29, 2020
I have a serious dislike for winter. Especially the last couple of years, when it will be 60° and gorgeous one day, and then the next day go from 50° to 25° in a couple of hours. Plus rain/sleet/snow/wind. No thank you.
On the flip side, winter weather is a great excuse to enjoy those warm, comforting meals without guilt. Soup is one of my favorites, but until a couple of years ago I had this weird fear that soup was difficult to make. I quickly learned those fears were unfounded, and now have several that I make on a regular basis.
Game meat was another fear of mine. Growing up in Maryland, I didn’t know a single person who ate it. Once I moved to Oklahoma I heard about it, but I certainly wasn’t about to join that crowd.
When I finally tried bison and then venison, I loved them both. And when I eventually gave in and cooked venison, I realized those fears were unfounded as well.
I’m always looking for new ways to prepare venison, and this dreary winter weather is the perfect opportunity for a new soup recipe. So I combined those to create Venison Lasagna Soup
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- It has lasagna flavor you love in a warm and comforting soup
- It’s perfect for a weeknight dinner and great for leftovers
- You can easily substitute another type of protein
This Venison Lasagna Soup is outstanding! I’ve always loved lasagna, but I’ve never made it myself because it always seems labor-intensive. Venison Lasagna Soup gives you all the flavor and comfort of lasagna in less time, and with less work.
INGREDIENT TIPS FOR VENISON LASAGNA SOUP
I use a Dutch oven, but you could also use a heavy-bottomed pot. The key is to use a pot that’s large and deep enough to hold all the ingredients.
The list of seasonings looks long, but they’re all integral to the flavor. The first time I made Venison Lasagna Soup I didn’t use Onion Powder or Garlic Powder, and I knew something was missing. I added them the next time, and it made such a difference.
I use my Homemade Vegetable Broth because I always have it on hand and it has such a wonderful depth of flavor. If you use store-bought broth, make sure to look for low sodium or no-salt-added. You can use vegetable, chicken or beef broth.
I use store-bought venison, and you can find it in the frozen meat section of many grocery stores. I normally add bacon when I cook venison, to help the flavor and moisture. But you don’t need any bacon in this dish.
Break the lasagna noodles into pieces before cooking. I’ve told myself that I would cook them first and then cut them up. As you can guess, I totally forgot to cut them.
I recently learned to make Homemade Ricotta Cheese, so that’s what I use for the topping. Of course, you can use store-bought, and can choose whole milk or part-skim.
SUBSTITUTIONS FOR VENISON LASAGNA SOUP
If you don’t have venison, not to worry! Use lean beef, ground turkey, or even ground chicken and you’ll still have a gorgeous recipe. You can also substitute meatless options like Beyond Meat or Impossible Meat.
I’ve seen other recipes use store-bought marinara sauce. Sure you could use that in a pinch, but to me, it’s just as easy to use Tomato Paste, Crushed Tomatoes, and Fire Roasted Petite Diced Tomatoes.
To make Venison Lasagna Soup gluten free, use Gluten Free Lasagna Noodles
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add venison and break it apart into crumbles. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove venison and set aside. The venison will only be about 75% cooked.
Add remaining oil and onion. Cook for 4 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Next, add broth, all tomatoes, and all seasonings. Bring to a low boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes
While sauce simmers, cook lasagna noodles in a large pot of salted, boiling water for 12 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
Add noodles and reserved water to the soup, and stir to combine
Add ricotta, Parmesan, and mozzarella in a small bowl and combine well.
Portion soup into bowls, and top with cheese mixture.
SERVINGS AND LEFTOVERS
The number of servings really depends on how hungry you are. The complete recipe as written will yield 4 generous servings on its own, or 6 with a side salad.
Leftovers:
- Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to one week.
- The lasagna noodles are sturdy enough to hold up as leftovers. But, if you prefer, you can make a fresh batch of noodles
MORE DELICIOUS VENISON RECIPES
MORE DELICIOUS SOUPS
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Venison Lasagna Soup
Venison Lasagna Soup is a perfect way to enjoy all the flavors and comfort of lasagna with less work! This soup will quickly become a family favorite, whether for a weeknight dinner or lazy weekend afternoon supper
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground venison
- 2 Tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups vegetable broth (I use homemade)
- 1 can crushed tomatoes (14.5 ounce)
- 1 can fire-roasted petite diced tomatoes (14.5 ounce)
- 2 1/2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon dried fennel seed, crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh-cracked black pepper
- 8 lasagna noodles, broken into bite-sized pieces
- 8 ounces low moisture ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- In large pot, heat 1 Tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add venison and break apart into crumbles. Cook, stirring occasionally, until brown. Remove venison and set aside
- Add remaining oil and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes, until slightly soft. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add broth, all tomatoes, and all seasonings. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- In large pot of boiling, salted water, add lasagna noodles. Cook for 12-15 minutes, or until soft. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
- Add noodles and reserved pasta water to soup, and stir to combine
- Add ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella in a small bowl, and combine well
- Portion soup into bowls, and top each bowl with a dollop of cheese mixture. Garnish with parsley
Notes
I use a Dutch oven, but you could also use a heavy-bottomed pot. The key is to use a pot that’s large and deep enough to hold all the ingredients.
I use Homemade Vegetable Broth, but you can use store-bought. And if you do, look for low sodium or no salt added.
SUBSTITUTION IDEAS
- Use ground beef, turkey or ground chicken instead of venison. You can also use meatless meat options
- You can use store-bought marinara sauce instead of tomato paste and crushed/diced tomatoes
- Use gluten-free lasagna noodles to keep the dish gluten-free
SERVINGS & LEFTOVERS
It depends on how hungry you are! The complete recipe as written will yield 4 generous servings on its own, or 6 with a side salad.
Leftovers:
- Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to one week.
- The lasagna noodles are sturdy enough to hold up as leftovers. But, if you prefer, you can make a fresh batch of noodles
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6Amount Per Serving: Calories: 374Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 997mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 31g
Nutrient values are estimates only. Variations may occur due to product availability and food preparation. Nutrition may vary based on methods of preparation, origin and freshness of ingredients, etc
Adapted from Cooking Classy
Debbye
Sunday 25th of March 2018
I myself, don't eat venison, but have a friend who loves it and will be forwarding this to them ASAP. Your pictures are beautiful.
Karyl
Sunday 1st of April 2018
Thank you so much Debbye! I hope your friend enjoys the soup as much as I do
Heather
Sunday 25th of March 2018
Love this recipe!! We dont have much a winter here in Florida but I do love venison. Also like that you included a very helpful substitution section. Recipe and pictures are both beautiful :)
Karyl
Sunday 1st of April 2018
Thank you so much Heather! I'm jealous you're in Florida, because we can't seem to get away from cold and dreary weather here.
Ashley @ Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen
Sunday 25th of March 2018
It feels like this winter is never gonna end here in New York, but at least it makes soups like this one more enjoyable! I don't cook with venison often, but I do enjoy it - this looks like a fantastic way to use it!
Jessica Pinney
Sunday 25th of March 2018
Um, Y-U-M! This soup looks amazing! I'm going to have to find some venison so I can make it.
Karyl
Sunday 1st of April 2018
Thank you so much Jessica! I found my venison at Sprouts Farmer's Market. If you have a Whole Foods, Wegman's, or Central Market near you, I would check those as well.
Anne Murphy
Sunday 25th of March 2018
The lasagna noodles in soup look fun! And I know what you mean - venison is not readily available in New York City either! A few specialty butcher shops carry it, I gather, but... I have had it, though, when friends cooked it, and it is delicious!