I just may never make lasagna again!

 

This soup has been on my radar for a while. I live with a man who just likes soup as a friend, but one you just say hi to at work, and might sometimes have lunch with if you happen to be the only two sitting in the cafeteria, and you don’t want to be rude. And then I live with a boy who refuses to even be in the same room as soup. He just doesn’t trust what might be lurking. There might be something in it. Doesn’t matter what it is..but he can’t see it, so he won’t eat it. And then I live with a garbage disposal who loves just about everything (can you tell he’s my favorite when it comes to soup?).

So, when Snowhite @ Finding My Joy in the Kitchen posted her mom’s lasagna soup, I finally had to make it. It was like something possessed me and walked me into the kitchen and began moving my hands for me (but I promise, we don’t have rats in our house – maybe it was just Connor, after all).

LASAGNA SOUP (adapted from Finding Joy in My Kitchen)

• 1 lb ground beef (or italian sausage – we didn’t have any and thought it tasted great)
• 3 shallots, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped (we like  a garlic punch, and the original 4 cloves just weren’t enough for us)
• 1 medium bell pepper, diced, (if you must. We find it sacrilege to put it in anything)
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp basil
• a few grinds of black pepper
• 2 T tomato paste
• 1 can diced tomato (undrained)
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (to taste. If you don’t like to taste them, omit them)
• 8 oz mushrooms (sliced)
• 1 C fresh spinach
• 6 C chicken broth
• 8 oz pasta (we used egg noodles, but you could use any compact pasta)
• ricotta, parmesan & mozzarella cheeses for bottom of the bowl.

In a deep skillet or dutch oven, saute your shallots and garlic for just a few minutes on low, then add your ground beef  plus a little salt and pepper to flavor the beef. Brown and drain. Add in your oregano, basil, pepper, pepper flakes, tomato paste, and mushrooms and cook for a few minutes longer.

Add in the tomatoes, broth and bay leaf. Let this simmer on your stove top for about 20-30 min. (this is a good time to go do another load of laundry or load the dishwasher)

Add in the spinach and pasta and let cook til pasta is as you like it cooked. This is a good time to salt the dish to your taste. Also, a good time to add fresh basil if you have it.

To serve, place 2-3 TB of ricotta in the bottom of your bowl, plus a good chunk of shredded mozzarella and parmesan. Spool your soup over the top of the cheeses, and top with a  bit of fresh basil or Italian parsley if you like.

Serve with some crusty garlic bread and salad.

(and because I didn’t take a photo the night we made it, I made a bowl from the leftovers for the photo, and then had it for breakfast – it’s that good).

What’s your favorite soup for wintery nights?