Do you love lasagna for all its rich, marinara flavor? Then, you’ll love this vegan lasagna soup with its luscious Italian tomato broth that smartly incorporates lentils to lend the soup a better-than-meat-based lasagna flavor.
No one knows who invented vegan lasagna but vegans create some of the best recipes around, I think. They know how to combine legumes and beans with vegetables, spices, and grains to create dishes that don’t just taste as good as meat dishes but superior to them, I’ve found!
This soup is perfect for a cold day when you want to read or watch a good old movie, and smell the rich aroma of an Italian soup a-bubbling on the stove, wafting its delicious aromas all around.
What I love about vegan lasagna soup is that the lentils add a substantial, meaty, flavorful broth to the tomato sauce and Italian herbs that creates a whole new Italian flavor that is so irresistible and satisfying. The spinach perfectly complements the tomato, lentil, and pasta flavors and if you’re already a fan of vegan lasagna for that spinach layer, you’ll be a big fan of this soup.
Kids love it because — like those roller coaster noodles you might remember fondly from your youth, there’s a fun, tasty surprise in every bite, whether it’s a noodle, some lentils with tomato, or a dollop of cheese floating in that succulent broth.
You’ll love Vegan Lasagna Soup because it’s not just a wonderfully savory dish to serve for family and friends, it’s also easy to prepare, fun to make with your kids because you get to basically hurl all these lovely ingredients into the pot, one by one, but it’s also extremely healthy. Just check out the almost full serving of vitamin A you get in one bowl of this soup! And vitamin A is not an easy nutrient to get, especially in one dish! For the non-vegans, serve it with a dollop of crème fraîche for proper nutrient absorption of all these fat soluble vitamins!
If you love rich, hearty vegan soups like this, try my Vegetarian Tortilla Soup or my Vegan Gumbo.
FAQs & Tips
How to Make Ahead and Store?
You can make virtually any soup, including this one, ahead and freeze or refrigerate it up to three days as long as you do one, crucial thing: leave out the noodles. Simply break those up and add those to the liquid of the soup and simmer it on low until the noodles are soft or, try this trick I learned from Ina Garten to make perfect lasagna: soak lasagna noodles in very warm, salted water for 20 minutes and then add them to your soup. Voila!
Tip #1
If spinach is not your thing, substitute with a vegetable you love. A good suggestion might be mild flavored zucchini or eggplant. Eggplant almost dissolves it this soup leaving none the wiser but definitely healthier.
Tip #2
For an even richer red broth, try this dish with red lentils instead of traditional lentils.
Tip #3
Canned San Marzano tomatoes make a kind of life-or-death difference in all recipes and they really help to create the best flavor in Italian recipes.
Tip #4
If you and your family enjoy mushrooms, fresh white mushrooms sauteed in wine and butter really set off the flavor of this soup. So does red wine!
Serving Suggestions
Vegan Lasagna Soup pairs nicely with salads or soft, pull apart, buttery breads, and crisp-crust breads as well, like (not necessarily vegan) my Simple Challah Bread Recipe, my Irish Soda Bread, or, especially my Garlic Rolls (Pull-Apart Bread Recipe). For a great, simple salad that will perfectly pair with this soup, try my Mediterranean Salad with Pomegranate Lemon. Entertaining or celebrating? Then follow this lovely meal with my Tiramisu Cake (you’ll agree with me that they must serve this in heaven!
Vegan Lasagna Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1/3 cup green lentils rinsed
- 8 oz dried lasagna noodles
- 3 cups fresh spinach
- Fresh basil thinly sliced for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the diced onion and sauté until it begins to soften, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic, tomato paste, dried basil, and oregano to the onions. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is fragrant and the onions are fully translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth, then add the rinsed lentils. Increase the heat to bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, or until the lentils are just starting to become tender.
- Break the lasagna noodles into roughly 2-inch pieces and add them to the pot. Let the soup simmer for another 10-15 minutes, or until the noodles are cooked to al dente and the lentils are fully tender.
- Stir in the fresh spinach and cook just until it wilts. Serve the soup hot, garnished with thinly sliced fresh basil.
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