Lasagna Soup

So Seattle... we're all here now! First Bryce and Bagheera arrived together before Bryce took off on a business trip. Bagheera made herself at home atop the kitchen cabinets while in the absence of cozy things to lay on. I joined the party last week and our furniture and household goods arrived just 2 days later! We've been getting acclimated as best as we can. Thankfully I purchased a coat during our visit a few months ago and it goes everywhere with me! 

If you follow me on Instagram, you've seen the cliche in-Seattle-drinking-coffee posts that I've succumbed to! In my defense I can't get enough coffee to warm my bones and I was:

1. Excited about my brand new French Press and coffee grinder
2. Sad that I ruined the first brew but didn't dare attempt a caffeine-free morning
3. Pleased to successfully make an edible cup of coffee at home using the crazy contraption
4. Tickled by the adorable and delicious mocha at a neighborhood coffee shop

Coats and hot coffee are certainly helping with the transition back to a chilly climate, although I find myself wanting warm, comforting foods at all times. Lasagna soup seemed like a really fun recipe that would be hearty enough to serve as a main dish and my instincts served me right!

Lasagna Soup

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A combination of both Food Network Mag and A Farmgirl's Dabbles

Ingredients

6 whole wheat lasagna noodles, broken into pieces

8 ounces of sweet Italian sausage (without casings)

1 chopped onion

3 cloves of garlic

A dash of dried oregano

A dash of red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

4 cups of chicken broth

1 - 15 oz can of crushed tomatoes

¼ cup of half and half

Fresh basil

Parmesan cheese

EVOO

Begin by boiling a large pot of water on the stove top and cook the lasagna noodles as directed on the package. Drain them and toss with a bit of EVOO to prevent them from sticking together.

In a large pan over medium-high heat, start with a bit of EVOO to coat the pan then add sausage. Cook the sausage until browned, breaking up the pieces all the while. Add the onions and cook until they're softened (3 - 5 minutes) before adding the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Stir all to combine. To the mixture, add tomato paste and incorporate well, allowing it to cook for just 1 - 2 minutes, until the red paste turns slightly rust colored.

The tomato paste is like a warm blanket bringing all the friends in to cozy up together!

Finally, add the chicken broth and crushed tomatoes to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes, until slightly reduced. Add the half and half and stir to combine. 

The half and half adds just the right amount of richness to the soup. In an effort to boost the nutritional factor in this recipe, I swapped traditional noodles for whole wheat, used just half of the package of sausage, and all-together skipped the ricotta cheese topping from the other recipes but c'mon - 1/4 of a cup of half and half spread out for 4 bowls of soup is well worth it! It's perfection.   

Remove from heat and add your noodles before diving into bowls. Top with basil and parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Fresh basil is something I can't seem to overdo and it was a perfect compliment to the rich, hot bowl of soup. The cheese melted slowly and, without being too heavy, just sprinkled some spoonfuls with additional flavor. The combination of classic lasagna elements in a soup is mind blowing! Including both pasta and sausage give it enough sustenance to serve as a meal.

This won't be the last soup recipe you see around here this winter!