Lasagna Soup (pt. 2)

In all honesty, my Monday meal priority was whipping something up that would provide leftovers, and soup is often what I go for in these instances. Plus it is so freaking cold right now, big, warm bowl of soup at the end of the day is nothing short of dreamy. This Lasagna Soup has been a go to this Winter. Vegetarian friendly + loaded with lots of “good for you” stuff. It’s just a really satisfying soup to have on hand. It’s full of classic pasta flavor - tons of herbs + tomatoes + (of course) lasagna noodles. At the end of the day it’s an ideal hearty bowl of soup to cozy up with in the heart of Winter. In this instance, I happened to have fresh focaccia on hand, and a lasagna soup dipper for my fluffy focaccia sounded pretty ideal.

 
 

Homemade marinara is your base

Like any good lasagna, a fresh marinara is the heart of it all. It’s no different for the soup variation. A necessary extra step, but as long as you start your meal prep by getting the sauce going, you’ll be in good shape!

The key ingredients - good quality canned tomatoes (it’s the marzanos for us) + hella garlic. And I’d also throw in making sure the seasoning is generous. You can’t be shy with that salt + pepper. Cook it low + slow, and then blend it up to go right into the soup. It’s easy + simple, and knowing that I made the marinara base that is the soul of the soup just makes me feel good.

Step 1 - make the cauliflower taste like sausage

My most frequently used at-home vegetarian cook hack is using riced cauliflower in place of sausage or some other ground meat. I feel like using cauliflower in these instances is honestly like my super power. And in this instance we are on a mission to make this cauli taste like spicy Italian sausage.

Admittedly - the cauliflower tastes nothing like cooked sausage, but you can’t blame a girl for trying! What I think I do successfully attempt is incorporating a lot of the flavors in your typical spicy sausage into the soup by cooking it in with the riced cauliflower. My theory is that cooking all of the spices + herbs with the cauliflower, and essentially cooking it into the riced cauliflower, just helps establish an herby Italian base. Fennel, oregano, red pepper flakes are all added into the pan with the cauliflower as the base for the soup. The key - generous heaping teaspoons of each, because why note? The fennel is what I think is the fun, surprise ingredient, but it’s necessary for mocking the sausage flavor. Once all that flavor is cooked in, all the other veggies go in.

This cheesy mixture on top is heaven

LITERAL HEAVEN! Who knew you should be mixing mozz + parm into your ricotta? Dip crackers in it, spread it on pizza, eat it with a spoon, and in this instance put a dollop of it right on top of your piping hot soup and let it melt right in. The mozz gets melty + stringy in that perfect cheesy kind of way. It’s just the little indulgent factor to pile right on top. Finished with a little fresh basil on top + a chunk of bread nestled into the bowl - you’ll be in good shape.

 
 

For the marina

  • EVOO

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1/2 of a yellow onion, diced

  • 1-28 ounce can of whole peeled tomatoes

  • salt + pepper

For the soup

  • 3 c. riced cauliflower

  • 1 tsp fennel

  • 1 tsp dried oregano

  • 1 tsp dried parsley

  • 1 tsp paprika

  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes

  • salt + pepper

  • 2 tbsp tomato paste

  • 2 carrots, peeled + diced

  • 2 celery ribs, diced

  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded + diced

  • 6 c. chicken stock

  • 8 lasagna noodles, broken up with your hands

  • 1/4 c. fresh basil, sliced (plus a little extra for garnish)

For the cheesy topping

  • 1 c. ricotta

  • 1 c. shredded mozz

  • 1/4 c. parmesan

Start by making the marinara. Add about 3 tablespoons of EVOO to a skillet and out over medium heat. Add in the onion + garlic + cook until the onions are translucent (about 10 minutes). Add in the canned tomatoes & keep over medium heat for about 5 minutes, letting the sauce simmer + breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon. Season generously with salt + pepper, stir, and reduce the heat to low. Cover and let the sauce continue to cook for 12-15 minutes. When that’s done, use an immersion blender to puree the sauce. I like to keep mine a little chunky, and that works for me!

As the marinara cooks, heat a Dutch oven over medium-low heat to start making the soup. Add in 2 tablespoons of EVOO + the riced cauliflower, stirring to coat the cauliflower. Cook the cauliflower until tender, about 12 minutes. Add in the all of the spices + dried herbs, and a generous pinch of salt + pepper. Stir + cook with the cauliflower for another 3 minutes. Then add in the tomato paste, stir, and increase the heat medium. Cook for 2 minutes. Add in the carrots, celery, bell pepper, marinara, and chicken stock. Stir to combine all ingredients and increase the heat to med-high. Bring the soup to a simmer + let is simmer uncovered for 5-7 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and continue to cook for 15 minutes. Simultaneously stir in the fresh basil.

Whip the cheese topping by just mixing the ricotta, mozz, and parm in a small bowl.

Lesley ZehnerComment