Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Lasagna Soup

Perfect Pairing:  Flatbreads with Thyme, Honey and Sea Salt
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I have been trying to come up with a description that gives this lasagna soup justice.  I don’t know what to say other than it is just plain fabulous.  If you like lasagna, you will love this soup.  Heck, if you like soup you will love this soup.  I made this recipe for my family over the Christmas holiday and it was a big hit.  It is officially my new favorite soup recipe. 
The base is tomato, sausage (I used turkey sausage), seasonings, and pasta.  The original recipe did not include any vegetables but I added mushrooms, bell pepper and spinach.  I really liked this addition because it bulked it up and added nutritional value.  I love vegetables in my lasagna so it makes sense that I would like vegetables in my lasagna soup!  What makes this lasagna soup really special (and makes it taste like lasagna) is the cheesy mixture that you add to each bowl.  It is a combination of ricotta, parmesan, salt, and pepper. In the picture I added it to the top but I think it is best to put it in the bottom of the bowl and pour the hot soup over it so it melts.  
The Perfect Pairing for lasagna soup is Flatbreads with Thyme, Honey and Sea Salt.  I like to serve some sort of bread with soup and these flatbreads were perfect.  The soup is really hearty so you would not want to serve dense bread.  The cracker-like consistency of the flatbreads was a nice compliment to the soup.

Lasagna Soup
Adapted by Lindsay at Perfecting the Pairing from Farmgirls Dabbles

Ingredients:
Soup:
·         2 tsp olive oil
·          1 ¼ lb hot turkey sausage, removed from the casing
·         2 onions, chopped
·         1 green bell pepper, chopped
·         8 oz sliced mushrooms
·         5 cloves of garlic, chopped
·         2 tsp dried oregano
·         ½ tsp red pepper flakes
·         3 Tb tomato paste
·         28 oz. fire roasted diced tomatoes
·         2 bay leaves
·         ½ tsp garlic salt
·         6 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
·         8 oz pasta (I used whole wheat shells)
·         10 oz fresh spinach
·         ½ cup julienned basil leaves
·         Salt and pepper, to taste
·         1 ½ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
Cheesy Mixture:
·         8 oz ricotta
·         ½ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
·         ¼ tsp salt
·         Pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the sausage to the pan and break up using a wooden spoon.  Sauté the sausage until it starts to brown.  Add the chopped onion and pepper to the pan and sauté for 2 minutes.  Add the mushrooms, garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes to the pan and sauté until all of the veggies have softened.  Add the tomato paste and stir to combine.  Cook for about 3 minutes.
Add the diced tomatoes, bay leaves, garlic salt, and chicken broth to the pan.  Stir to combine.  Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add the uncooked pasta and cook until al dente (according to package instructions). You don’t want to overcook the pasta because it could get too mushy. 
Meanwhile, make your cheesy mixture by combining the ricotta, cheese, salt and pepper in a small bowl. 
Right before serving add the fresh spinach to the soup.  Stir until just wilted.  Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper, to taste.
To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy mixture in the bottom of the soup bowl, top with the hot soup.  Sprinkle on a few pieces of basil and a sprinkle of shredded mozzarella cheese.

3 comments:

  1. Yum! This looks really great. I'm always looking for "meatier" soups, cause Ryan isn't a big fan of the brothy varieties. This defiintely fits the bill.

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  2. Lindsay, It's a blustery day here in Flagstaff, Arizona. So I made this wonderful soup and everyone loved it. Thanks for sharing. I have a photo of us at a Longaberger Bee back in the 1990s so it's great to see you again. Happy Cooking!

    ReplyDelete

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