Lasagna Soup with Red Lentils and Spinach

Prep 15 min·Cook 30 min·Total 45 min·4 servings·VEGETARIAN·490 kcal

Lasagna soup with red lentils in a black bowl with lasagna noodles, Parmesan and basil on a wooden board

Ingredients

For the soup

1 onion
1 garlic clove
2 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 carrots
200 gr (7 oz.) red lentils
400 gr (14 oz.) chopped tomatoes (canned)
1 Tbsp tomato paste
800 ml (3 1/2 cups) vegetable broth
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
2 pinches pepper
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 handfuls baby spinach

To serve

8 lasagna sheets
Parmesan (freshly grated)
fresh basil (to garnish)

Equipment: large pot, second pot for the noodles, cutting board, knife, sieve, wooden spoon

Instructions

Sauté the vegetables

1.Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Trim the carrots and cut them into small pieces.
2.Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and soften the onion and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes.
3.Add the carrots and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Simmer the soup

1.Rinse the red lentils in a sieve and drain them.
2.Add the lentils, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and vegetable broth to the pot. Stir in the oregano, thyme, cumin, salt and pepper.
3.Bring to a boil and simmer the soup over low heat for about 25 minutes until the lentils are soft and start to fall apart. Stir now and then.

Cook the lasagna noodles

1.Meanwhile break the lasagna sheets into small pieces and cook them in salted water in a second pot according to the package until tender. Drain.

Add the spinach and serve

1.Stir the balsamic vinegar and baby spinach into the soup and wait until the spinach has wilted. Season to taste.
2.Divide the noodles between bowls, ladle the soup over them and serve with Parmesan and fresh basil.

Notes

Tip from my kitchen: the soup tastes almost better on the second day, so I like to cook a double batch and freeze half without the noodles. If you like, add a spoonful of ricotta or mozzarella to the hot bowl, then it tastes even more like lasagna. Traditional Parmesan is made with animal rennet, so for a strictly vegetarian kitchen use a hard cheese made with microbial rennet. And when the kids eat with us, I sometimes leave out the cumin to keep the soup milder.

Nutrition per serving: 490 kcal · 22 g protein

MY NOTES

Ten more easy vegan dinners, free: frei-style.com/ebook