Lasagna Soup

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I’d have to say the question I get asked most often (other than, “Where do you get your protein?”), is “What are some quick and easy plant-based meals I can make that my whole family will like?”  I have promised to add more of these kinds of recipes to my blog.

I first made this recipe a couple of winters ago when both of our nephews were living with us while playing hockey.  I was experimenting with one pot meals that filled those hollow legs, yet added the hearty and healthy benefit of legumes and veggies without feeling like just another chili dish.  It is simple, satisfying and warming on those cool fall nights. 

This recipe is perfect for when you need to do a bit of a fridge clean out.  You can use any kind of veggies you have on hand that your family enjoys.  Just chop up four cups and drop them in the pot.  This works well for my fridge clean out, as each Tuesday I have veggies delivered by Urban Harvest to our doorstep.  You may have a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) or local delivery service in your community.  I would encourage you to research into it.  I find it a great way to choose exactly what I want to order each week, support local small businesses and enjoy shopping with no grocery bag shlepping involved. 🙂  I have also found that some of the items available are actually cheaper than in the stores. Some CSAs, like Urban Harvest, also offer items such as breads, dips and dressings, local kombucha, coffee, tofu and chocolates.  This week we had the most amazing baby broccoli heads delivered.  I should have taken a photo.  They were compact and perfect.  Even my nephew, who had them for his “pregame hockey meal” yesterday said the taste was ‘unreal!’.  What 19 year old guy says that about broccoli?!

So, the next weeknight that you need a quick one pot meal that your kids could even help you make, you might want to give this a try.  They will enjoy breaking up the lasagna noodles and digging in your fridge drawer for veggies that they like to add to the soup.  We all know when kids (even big kids) help out in the kitchen, they are much more inclined to eat the creation. 🙂

I used broccoli, celery, a cob of corn cut off the cob, a red pepper and some green beans.  There is no end to what you could add in.

I’ll be straight with you, other than the greens, I just put it all in the pot at the same time, but instead, I would suggest staggering the ingredients a little bit to have more tender lentils and more a la dente pasta.  This recipe is great to reheat the next day, but does become more like a stew and less like a soup with time, so you may want to add a little bit of vegetable stock when reheating.

Here is a photo of what you will need. 

Lasagna Soup

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Serves: 12 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 35-40 minutes 35-40 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 2 jars of red pasta sauce (I'd suggest one regular, one spicy)
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 3/4 cup dry lentils (any colour- just check package for cook time)
• 4 cups of veggies, diced finely (broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, peas, mushrooms, carrots, etc)
• 10 lasagna noodles broken up into bite sized pieces (use whole grain or gluten free if there is a gluten sensitivity)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup of any type of onion (green, white, yellow, red) chopped finely
• 1/2 lemon squeezed
• 2 cups of greens, chopped (spinach, kale, Swiss chard, beet greens, etc)
• salt, pepper and seasonings of your choice

Instructions

1. In a large pot, stir together the pasta sauce, vegetable stock, lentils, garlic and onion.
2. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
3. Cook for 15 minutes.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients except for the greens and cook for 15 minutes.
5. Test the soup to make sure all of the ingredients are properly cooked- not too soft or too hard.
6. Stir in the greens for the last 5 minutes of cooking.
7. Serve with a dollop of vegan sour cream, slice of bread and side salad if desired!

 

www.thevibrantveggie.com

 

 

As you can see, this recipe makes quite a lot.  It made two large containers full that would feed a robust family of 5 twice.  One for now and one to freeze for a later date!

Here is a short video I found on the benefits of lentils and a brief explanation of the variety of lentils.  Because, you know… my blog post wouldn’t be complete without a little eduction. 🙂 I hope you find it helpful!