Spinach Lasagna Soup | Well of Nourishment

I look forward to a hot and delicious meal full of vegetables to fill me up more than anything else at this time of the year. It could be a one-pot meal with crusted bread on weekdays. Or as part of a full-course dinner with a protein main and a vegetable side on the weekends. A vegetable-based, or any homemade batch of soup, serves as the anchor to a healthful meal I strive to achieve.

The biggest question is which soup to make: the family favorites, the seasonal soups, or the one that soothes and heals. Chicken soup for the soul will always have a special place in my kitchen. Meanwhile, it’s hard to ignore that the spinach lasagna soup is a huge hit. I’ll be making a lot of it.

Don’t just take it from me. Ellie Krieger, nutritionist and food writer at the Washington Post, seems to be sharing a similar view.

A pot of hot soup is a sustaining pillar of my home cooking most of the year. Having a batch of it in my refrigerator, ready to be rewarmed as a meal in a bowl or a snack in a mug, provides not only a calming sense of stability but also a tangible well of nourishment. Experimenting with different soups is (arguably pathetically) my idea of fun, so I am often simmering something new. But there are also soups I make again and again — the most requested ones that, over time, have earned the coveted title of Family Favorite, many of which have been published in this column, such as my Broccoli Cheddar Soup and the aptly named Family Favorite Minestrone. Make room at the top, because this recipe is destined to join those in the position of honor.

~ Ellie Krieger

Surprised how tasty this soup is since tomato-based soups have not always been my pick. I tend to be partial toward New England, rather than Manhattan, clam chowder. That might have something to do with my resistance to a lasagna soup. However, the layer of flavors in the spinach lasagna is truly winning.

If you are a fan of an Italian pizza or a baked lasagna, you’ll certainly like this soup. Furthermore, there’s so much deliciousness in every spoonful. Most noteworthy are the herby spicy sausage and the hearty broken pasta sheets — against the dark green goodness of spinach. Should there be any remaining doubt, the creaminess of the ricotta and the umami-rich parmesan cheese will get you to an exalted state of bliss. Then you want another bowl. There is not much to ask for after that!

Print Recipe

Spinach Lasagna Soup | Ellie Krieger

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 ounces sweet Italian-style chicken sausage, casings removed (see NOTE)
• 1 medium yellow onion (about 8 ounces), diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• One (15-ounce) can no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup water
• 4 ounces lasagna sheets, broken into pieces (about 5 noodles)
• 3 cups (2 ounces) lightly packed fresh spinach leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup ricotta cheese (part-skim or whole)
• 1/4 cup (scant 1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut into ribbons

Instructions

1

In a large, heavy soup pot over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the sausage and onion and cook, stirring frequently and breaking up the sausage with the spoon as it cooks, until the onion has softened and the sausage is browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30 seconds, then stir in the tomato paste, oregano, basil, salt and pepper.

2

Add the broth, crushed tomatoes and water (swirl it around the empty tomato can to get all the tomato flavor out) and bring to a boil. Add the lasagna noodles, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are al dente and the soup has reduced slightly, about 15 minutes. Stir in the spinach and remove from the heat.

3

Ladle the soup into bowls and top each portion with a dollop of ricotta, then sprinkle with the Parmesan and basil, and serve.

4

NOTE: If you cannot find chicken sausage that has easily removable casings — typically sold at the butcher’s counter in the supermarket — you can purchase a packaged chicken sausage, such as Applegate brand, and slice the links into medallions. Follow the searing directions above, but don’t worry about breaking the medallions into pieces.

Notes

https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2021/11/18/spinach-lasagna-soup-recipe/ Nutrition Information Per serving (2 cups of soup with part-skim ricotta), based on 4. Calories: 467; Total Fat: 28 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Cholesterol: 102 mg; Sodium: 575 mg; Carbohydrates: 37 g; Dietary Fiber: 5 g; Sugar: 7 g; Protein: 27 g