Savory Lasagna Soup
This vegan version of lasagna soup has everything you would expect from its traditional counterpart. A cashew cream gives it a rich creaminess, while whole wheat pasta, low-sodium vegetable broth, diced tomatoes and fresh baby spinach pack a nutritional punch. It's a warming winter recipe that you can feel good about making a family staple.
Ingredients
- 2 quarts vegetable broth (reserve 1/4 cup) I prefer to use a low-sodium option
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
- 2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes I used the no salt added option from Muir Glen
- 2 cups whole wheat pasta
- 3 large handfuls fresh baby spinach
- 1 cup cashews, unsalted and unroasted pre-soak the cashews or use the quick soak method (see notes)
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Begin by making your cashew cream. In a high-speed blender, combine the pre-soaked (or quick soaked - see notes) cashews, water, nutritional yeast and lemon juice. Blend until smooth.
- In a large sauce pan, heat 1/4 cup of vegetable broth and add onions. When onions begin to soften, add the garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions and garlic begin to brown. About 6-8 minutes. Add the tomato paste, basil, parsley, thyme and crushed red pepper. Stir to combine and cook until fragrant. About 2 minutes.
- Add the diced tomatoes, vegetable broth and cashew cream. Simmer to meld flavors. About 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the broth is simmering, cook the pasta separately in accordance with the package directions.
- Serve hot, adding the spinach and pasta just before serving. The spinach will wilt nicely in the hot broth and will maintain a bright green color.
- Add salt & pepper to taste (NOTE: this recipe is designed to be low in sodium; you may find that you'd like to add some when serving).
Notes
If you didn't have time to pre-soak your cashews, fear not. You can do a quick soak method that will render them soft enough to be blended for this recipe. To do this, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. While the water is heating, put 1 cup of cashews into a bowl. Pour the just boiled water over the nuts and allow them to sit for 15 minutes. Once soaked, drain and rinse. Since the nuts have only been quick-soaked, you may find that you need just a little more water when making the cashew cream.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!