Who doesn’t love sitting down to a piping hot dish of delicious rich and cheesy lasagna on a chilly night? Carving out the time to make a delicious lasagna though… not so much. In fact I avoided making lasagna for many years because it was so time consuming and messy (at least for me) to make a great flavored sauce, prep the fillings and toppings and layer everything.
Streamlined lasagna has come along over the years with the help of no cook noodles and one pot versions. These styles called to me but I still found myself making it rarely because I felt a little naughty eating those yummy and heavy ingredients more than occasionally. The solution for me has finally presented itself in the form of lasagna soup! All the amazing flavors and textures of the tastiest lasagna in one pot and in a fraction of the time plus lightened up since only a few noodles and very little cheese are needed compared to a box of the original.
To take it a step farther I put a vegan twist on it to make it even lighter, using tofu to sub in for the ricotta topping and impossible style veggie meats for the ground beef or sausage. I know. How is that going to taste even close to the original? But can I tell you the flavor is so rich, delicious and perfectly satisfying thanks to all the extra protein from the tofu and plant based meat without weighing you down I don’t miss anything from the original and have never looked back! With the weather getting chillier soup season is on and even your busiest work night is calling for you to make this quick and off the charts delish lasagna soup!
Servings: 4 people
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 package “impossible” beyond meat or other plant based meat equivalent-Be sure to check ingredients if you need to keep this recipe Gluten Free (I like using using Trader Joes Turkeyless Plant Based Patties which are gluten friendly, but not gluten free.)
- 1 onion, minced
- 3 cups chopped mixed veggies of your choice (I like red bell pepper, fennel, mushrooms, defrosted frozen artichokes. I also like adding 1 cup chopped fresh spinach in at the very end so it doesn’t overcook.)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2-3 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
- 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil or Italian seasoning - 1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon minced if using fresh)
Drizzle olive oil for pot (plus more for tofu ricotta) - 1/3 cup red or white wine (or substitute red wine vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 14 ounce can roasted, diced tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1/3 package oven ready or regular lasagna noodles, broken into pieces
- 1 recipe tofu ricotta (See below)
- Fresh basil sliced into ribbons, for garnish
For Tofu Ricotta:
- 1 package tofu with liquid (not pressed)
- 1 clove minced garlic
- Generous drizzle olive oil
- A few sprigs fresh basil or 1 tsp dried
- 2 tsps salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 TBS nutritional yeast
Directions:
- In a pot drizzle olive oil to coat pan and heat over medium. Add plant based meat, brown on both sides and break up into pieces. Add diced onion, chopped bell pepper and fennel, and saute until soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add mushroom and artichokes (or other veggies of your choice) stir and let cook another 5 minutes or so until mushrooms soften. Add garlic and saute another minute or less, being careful not to burn. Add half the salt, pepper, and dried basil or Italian seasoning, and oregano. Add the tomato paste and stir. Add the wine and let reduce a couple minutes. Add the canned roasted, diced tomatoes, the rest of the salt and the veggie broth and bring to a boil, then simmer for about 15 minutes, adding the broken lasagna pieces in the last few minutes of cooking time and boil lightly until noodles are al dente and have thickened up the soup. If adding fresh spinach, add now so leaves become tender and wilt slightly without overcooking, and stir to incorporate. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if desired.
- While soup is simmering, make the tofu ricotta. In a food processor blend 1 package tofu with at least a portion of the liquid (don’t press the tofu-you want at least some of the liquid to help thin out the mixture.) Add olive oil, garlic, nutritional yeast, basil, salt and pepper and process on high until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Dish into bowls and top with a generous dollop of tofu ricotta and a sprinkle of basil, and serve.
Enjoy this recipe or have questions? Feel free to leave a comment!
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