This soup is pure genius, using a much-beloved dish—lasagna—as a jumping-off point, and reimagining it as a meal you can eat with a spoon. Happily, it’s way easier to make than lasagna, but just as hearty and flavorsome. It’s also great for batch cooking as you can fill a pot and have leftovers for days. This recipe is in regular rotation in each of our kitchens, and we know you’re going to love it, too!
Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes | Total time: 50 minutes
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 medium cloves garlic, minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips (or 1 cup frozen sliced bell peppers)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (or equivalent amount of vegetable bouillon and water)
2 cups marinara sauce (store-bought or from the recipe on page 228)
7 lasagna noodles (standard size)
8 ounces (half a 16-ounce block) extra-firm tofu, drained (or 1 cup sliced vegan Italian sausage or vegan beefy crumbles)
2 cups packed baby spinach
Salt and pepper, to taste
1. In a large soup pot over high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
2. Lower the heat to medium, add the bell pepper, basil, and oregano, and sauté for another 10 minutes.
3. Add the vegetable broth and marinara sauce and bring the soup to a boil.
4. Once the soup is gently boiling, add the lasagna noodles. Roughly break the lasagna noodles into bite-sized chunks by hand into the pot. Crumble the tofu directly into the pot using your hands (or add the sliced vegan sausage or vegan beefy crumbles) and then reduce the heat to a high simmer. Simmer the soup until the pasta is cooked through, stirring frequently to prevent the lasagna noodles from sticking together. The time will vary depending on the type of lasagna pasta you chose, so cook according to the directions on the package and taste for doneness.
5. Once the pasta is cooked, add the spinach and stir to wilt.
6. Season with salt and pepper.
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