Description
This Vegetarian Lasagna Soup is the ultimate comfort food on a cold day. It’s made with hearty veggies, homemade marinara sauce, and tender noodles. Each bowl is topped with a creamy mixture of ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, and garnished with fresh chopped basil.
Ingredients
Units
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- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 1 small carrot, peeled and chopped small
- 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded, cored and diced
- 8oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 28-oz whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand or with an immersion blender
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary (or dried thyme leaves)
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 6 to 7 dried lasagna noodles (not quick cooking)
- 8 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 cup freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil (or Italian parsley), divided
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, celery, and carrot, and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables have softened.
- Add the mushrooms, red bell pepper, garlic, a generous pinch of salt, and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper, and let cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are starting to brown.
- Add the tomatoes, dried oregano, dried basil, dried rosemary (or dried thyme if using), and red pepper flakes, and let cook for 3 minutes.
- Pour in the the vegetable broth and add the balsamic vinegar. Break the lasagna noodles into 4 or 5 pieces.
- Bring the soup to a boil and add the broken lasagna noodles, then turn the heat down to medium low and let simmer, uncovered, until the noodles are tender (about 10 to 12 minutes). The soup will reduce slightly. If the soup gets too thick for your liking, you can add 1 more cup of vegetable broth or water. You may need to adjust the seasoning to taste.
- While the noodles are cooking, add the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese to a medium mixing bowl. Mix until combined. Gently fold in 2 tablespoons of the chopped parsley or fresh basil.
- When the lasagna noodles are tender, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley or fresh basil.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and add a generous scoop of the cheese mixture in each bowl. Garnish with more fresh parsley or basil if desired. (The cheese will melt into the soup).
Notes
- Leftovers? Let the leftover soup cool to room temperature, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. Leftover ricotta cheese mixture can be stored separately in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Mushroom substitute: If you don’t like mushrooms, you can add more bell pepper (yellow, orange, red or green), diced yellow squash or zucchini.
- Whole peeled tomatoes: I recommend using canned Italian tomatoes, because they usually have less water content and turn into a delicious tomato sauce when cooked.
- Nutritional information is a rough estimate based on 6 servings.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 367
- Sugar: 4.8g
- Sodium: 1004mg
- Fat: 12.8g
- Saturated Fat: 5.2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5.4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 49.4g
- Fiber: 7.2g
- Protein: 19.7g
- Cholesterol: 39mg