Lasagna Soup, Just in Time for Soup Season
I love soup season.
When I was little, I looked forward to when that first cold spell would come through and my mom would start making soup, stew, chili, and homemade bread.
It's comfort food. Especially when the cozy days of fall and frosty winter start to set in, and I crave something warm and hearty to fill me up after chores!
One of our favorites is Lasagna Soup. It has most of the ingredients of lasagna, with a bit of a twist!
And if you are low carb, or don't care for pasta, you can totally leave that part out! No pasta necessary, although it does taste better with it!
This soup calls for ground pork, which you can find in our online store, right HERE! From our happy, healthy, pastured pigs!
On to the recipe!
Lasagna Soup
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 8
Adapted from: Live Love Pasta
Ingredients:
1-1 1/2 lbs Rare Breed Farms Ground Pork (or hot Italian sausage)
1 Onion, Diced
4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
2 Tbls Tomato Paste
1 Can 28oz. Diced Tomatoes
2 Whole Bay Leaves
6 cups Chicken Stock (you may need more for consistency)
8 ounces pasta (macaroni, bowtie, penne, shells, etc.)
1/2 cup Fresh Chopped Basil (2 Tbls dried)
1/2 cup Fresh Baby Spinach (or frozen, thawed)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Topping:
8 ounces Ricotta Cheese
1/2 cup grated Romano Cheese
2 cups shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Instructions:
In a large pot, brown ground pork over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes, cook for an additional minute.
Add the tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for about 3 more minutes.
Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. DO NOT OVERCOOK or continue to simmer at this point because the pasta will become mushy.
Stir in basil and spinach and season with salt and pepper to taste.
*At this point you might want to add a little more warmed chicken stock. Depending on what pasta you use, some of your liquid may be more or less displaced. Just watch the consistency and adjust as necessary.*
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheese mixture to sprinkle on top of the soup at serving. In a small bowl, combine ricotta, romano, and mozzarella cheeses and set aside.
TO SERVE: pour soup into bowls and add a scoop of cheese mixture on top.
Note: You can use any kind of small pasta, or none at all. You can also use fresh parmesan cheese instead of romano, if you prefer.
This soup can be served alone, or with a side of fresh baked french bread!
Happy soup season!
Tabitha