Vegan Lasagna Soup

This lasagna soup, is the traditional lasagna's fly older sister. Super simple, quick and all in one pot... doesn't get any better than that.

You can make this completely veggie only, or you can add your favorite plant based meat substitute and really take it up a notch in the comfort category.

What I love about a good one pot recipe is they are one of the most user friendly meals you can make.

Now, in order to really get the feel and look of lasagna soup, make sure you are using either lasagna shaped noodles, or, you can do what I did and break pieces of the traditional lasagna noodles.

Again, back to this meal being user friendly, you don't have to boil your noodles ahead of time. Just toss them into the pot, with your remaining ingredients, and that's it!

I always preach that when cooking, fresh is better! So make sure that you're using the good stuff when making this soup. So don't skimp on those fresh tomatoes and basil, the difference in flavor is major.

As with most of my recipes, the ingredients below are just a guide. Feel free to add more, or less, of something and have fun with this recipe by adding extras like, plant based cheese or ricotta. Of course the extra's are optional, but I always say, if you're going to take the time to make a homemade meal, go all out.

Soooo.... let's get into it, shall we!?

Vegan Lasagna Soup

Pre Time: 10minutes | Cook Time: 25minutes | Total Time: 35minutes

Ingredients:

Soup

• 1 tbsp Olive Oil

• 1 Yellow Onion (chopped)

• 4 Cloves Minced Garlic (minced)

• 6 cups Vegetable Broth (plus more if needed)

• 1 - 28oz can Crushed Tomatoes

• 2 tbsp Tomato Paste

• 10 Lasagna Noodles

• 1 tbsp Oregano

• 2 tbsp Italian Seasoning

• 1 tbsp Garlic Powder

• 1 tbsp Paprika

• 2 tbsp Seasoning Salt

• Nutritional Yeast

• Fresh Basil (chiffonade / thin strips)

• Umami Seasoning (optional)

• Coconut sugar (optional)

Tofu Crumbles

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (gluten-free if preferred)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

• ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke

• 1 block extra-firm tofu, crumbled

Optional Toppings

• Plantbased Cheese

• Plantbased Ricotta

Instructions:

If you decided to omit the meat substitute in this recipe, you can skip this section and jump straight to the soup assembly.

Preheat your oven, or air fryer, to 350 degrees and line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Now it's time to make your crumbles. If you have a tofu press, add your extra firm tofu, and remove as much excess liquid as possible. I find that when using the extra firm tofu, it takes about 10 remove majority of the liquid. If you do not have a tofu press, wrap your tofu in a clean tea towel, or paper towel, and place on a high rim plate. Then, take another plate and put it on top of your wrapped tofu. Grab anything heavy, and flat, and place on the top plate to press your liquid. I always suggest something like a cash iron skillet, books or ...both. You may need to replace your tea towel, and press again, since this method is not as effective as a tofu press. Don't worry if you can't remove all the liquid. The good thing about using extra firm tofu is, it has the least amount of liquid out of the other type of tofu.

While your tofu is pressing, grab a mixing bowl, and add all the ingredients listed under your tofu crumble category. Make sure to toss all your crumbles, and coat as many of them as you can. If you find that you need more of the seasoning's listed, this is the time to add them. Also, don't be afraid to add any of your other favorite seasonings in the recipe, the one's listed above are just a guide.

Now it's time to bake. Spread your crumbles evenly, and in a single layer across your baking sheet - don't skip this part. By making sure your tofu is in a single layer, and evenly spread out, it allows all of the crumbles to cook at the same time, and that they are nice and crispy.

Bake for 25-30 mins, depending on your oven, making sure to stop half way and toss.

Now heads up, your smaller crumbles will be a lot darker than your larger ones. In recipes like this, that's even better since that will provide a good crunch, and will hold up well when you mix in your soup.

While your crumbles are baking, it's time to start your soup assembly. In a large pot, heat your olive oil over medium-high heat.

When hot, add your onions and garlic, and sauté for about 5-7 mins, or until your onions become translucent and begin to brown.

Stir in your 6 cups of vegetable broth, your can of crushed tomatoes, fresh basil, tomato paste and all your seasonings. Bring your pot to a low simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes.

After your pot has simmered for 10 minutes, add your lasagna noodles or break off pieces from larger lasagna noodles. Continue to cook for another 7-10 mins, stirring frequently so they don't stick together.

Once your noodles are al dente, it's time to add your tofu crumbles. Your noodles, and tofu will soak up quite a bit of your liquid, so depending on your preference if it's too thick, you might need to add a little bit more of your vegetable broth.

This is also the best time to taste test and see if you need to add more of something. I like to add some coconut sugar at the end to cut down on the acidity from all the tomatoes. In most recipes like spaghetti , casserole or lasagna that uses quite a bit of them - this type of natural sugar balances out the flavors perfectly.

Notes:

I like to get super fancy with my toppings on this recipe. After plating, I love to add shredded plant based cheese or ricotta, as well as add mushrooms sometimes in place of the tofu.

Also don't be afraid to add additional veggies like zucchini, sweet red peppers or fresh spinach.

To serve, divide among bowls and garnish with toppings of choice.

FAQ + TIPS :

• To avoid overcooked pasta, turn the heat off when the pasta is al dente as it will keep cooking for a couple of minutes in the hot tomato sauce. If you are using a dutch oven, transfer the lasagna soup when ready to the serving bowls or if you are serving this dish later, transfer to another pot as the cast-iron pot will stay warm and the pasta will stay cooking.

• Can I make this recipe in a slow cooker? Yes, you can use your crockpot to make this delicious vegan lasagna soup. Cover and cook your ingredients on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat for 5-6 hours. Uncover and stir in pasta; cover and cook on high heat for an additional 30 minutes, or until noodles are tender; season with salt and pepper, to taste.