Sometimes things in life seem so simple, so obvious, that they leave me wondering “why didn’t I think of that?” That’s the way it is with this Lasagna Soup. While the recipe is my own, the idea for the soup came from some soups that I saw on Pinterest.
I love my lasagna sauce and frequently leave just a little bit of it in the pan at the end so that I can indulge myself…it’s Cook’s Rights, you know. I hadn’t ever considered that with more moisture I could turn the sauce into a soup. I am so inside-the-box sometimes. The Tevia (it’s tradition! Fiddler on the Roof) part of me that locks my brain into one way of thinking is so annoying.
Now don’t go sitting there all pompous and say that you always think outside of the box. Of course you don’t. The words “always” and “never” are absolutes and here is a hint for nurse test taking: if a test question or answer includes either of those words, then the question is automatically false or the answer on a multiple choice exam can automatically be considered incorrect. Just FYI.
Oh, and here is a fun little conundrum for you – did you ever consider that the more outside-of-the-box you think, the more inside of someone else’s box you get? For instance, I was watching one of those reality TV shows about finding antiques or valuable junk that just needs a little work on it. The show’s hosts were out driving around looking for possible junk treasure troves and passed a very unusual house. While the hosts were wandering around the outside of the house marveling at the wacky creativity of the paint job on the house, the two characters that lived in the house arrived on their even wackier tandem bicycle.
The show hosts introduced themselves to the home owners and explained why they had stopped to investigate the unusual house. They asked “can we see inside the house and maybe find something that you would be willing to sell?” Thing One and Thing Two cheerfully allowed the men inside the house to look around. The outside of the house was only a tiny teaser for what lay inside the house. The owners were definitely on the fringe of society, completely outside of the box – waaaaaaaaaay outside of the box. But wait, for as ‘outside of the box’ as they were, they had actually entered someone else’s box; they were the living, breathing representations of Dr. Seuss. They had not intended to be Dr. Seuss characters, but there they were, slap dab in the middle of Whoville right in the confines of their own home.
We all struggle for individualism, something that sets us apart from all of the other people that make up humanity. But seriously, why do we often work so hard for this? We are already there. No two people are just alike. We lump people together into ‘types’ and say that within those ‘types’ everyone is alike. Nope, there’s still subsets within the set. And please, let’s not use the snowflake analogy here, okay?
I could obviously write an entire discourse on this subject, but I really started out talking about Lasagna Soup. So, let’s get back to my version of this soup. The recipe is probably very much like other versions of lasagna soup; I mean, really, they are all pretty much the same. Did I just shoot myself in the foot with that sentence? I didn’t want to mislead you into thinking that I had a corner on the market for this considerably wonderful soup idea. Essentially, this is pretty much the same lasagna sauce recipe that I use for lasagna and spaghetti, except it has been turned into a soup. Sooooo delicious. By the way, this makes a very large amount of soup.
Lasagna Soup
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage, spicy or mild
- 1 large onion medium dice
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 (28 ounce) cans roasted, diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 (15 ounces) can tomato sauce
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup chopped, fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon chopped, fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 cup chopped, fresh parsley
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, optional
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 8 ounces dry pasta shape of choice see "Notes" for suggestions
- grated mozarella or Parmesan, as desired for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat, then add the sausage. Break up and cook sausage for 2-3 minutes, then add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring as needed, until the onions are translucent.
- Stir in the tomatoes (with juice) and tomato sauce. Add the chicken stock, water, basil, oregano, parsley, bay leaves, granulated garlic, granulated onion, sugar (if using) and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir together, then bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for about 15 minutes then taste for seasonings. Add the salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the pasta and stir. Simmer for an additional 15 minutes or until pasta is al dente, stirring as needed to keep pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Serve with grated mozzarella or Parmesan cheese on top, as desired.
This soup looks seriously delicious!
Julie–Thank you! We couldn’t make ourselves stop eating it. It’s great leftover, too.
This soup sounds and looks good. Yum! I would eat a huge bowl of this soup.
This is absolutely brilliant. I am so impressed with this one. Way to think outside the box, pure genius.
Christine–Forget the bowl, just grab a spoon and eat it right out of the pot! Less dishes that way.
Kim–Your kind comment gives me the warm fuzzies.:)
Terri – this soup sounds WONDERFUL! I’ve enjoyed skipping around your pages and learning more about you. =) Thanks for leaving a post at CCAA cookie post today. Yes, I do believe you could add a little (1/2 tsp. maybe?)
peppermint extract to the candy cane snowball cookies, but the candy canes in them really are a sweet surprise. =D Thanks for stopping by.
Better Baker–Thank you. And after I had posted the question about the peppermint extract I decided that the cookies would be better without it. Thanks for being gracious enough to respond to my question. I need to make those cookies very soon!
This sure sounds like some good cooking. Great title for your blog.
This soup looks wonderful! I usually add some veggies to my lasagna (spinach, mushrooms) and I’m wondering how they would be in the soup. I’ll hav eto give it a try!
bookcasefoodie–Thanks for dropping by and leaving a comment and thanks for the blog title compliment!
Katie–The spinach and mushrooms would probably be delicious. I had considered adding mushrooms to the soup, but chickened out at the last minute since I was just “testing the waters” for the first time with this recipe. It is open for innovation. Let me know how things taste with the additions.
What a wonderful idea! This looks seriously delicious 🙂
Yum! Another great recipe from you. Thanks for sharing!!!
Hear, hear! Yes it is indeed a contradiction in itself!
But about that soup! I’m looking at it, it’s 1 am Danish time and I want to start cooking it! It’s one to make after Christmas!
If you want to surprise your family with something Swedish on the Christmas table I’ve put up my recipe for Swedish meatballs today, have a look, I don’t want to blow my own trumpet here but they are so good!
Have a happy Christmas!
God Jul!
Savoring Time in the Kitchen–Thank you! It is seriously addicting.
Anonymous–You are welcome! Always glad to share.
Anna–God Jul to you, too! I LOVE Swedish meatballs. Thanks for dropping by and and I hope that this recipe works well for you.
This looks delicious. I will be making this today. We have a wonderful Nutella Fluff Cocoa. Come visit and check it out. Happy Holidays!
Hi Terri,
This is a wonderful soup for a cold winters night. I can almost smell it as it simmer’s in the soup pot. I will be making this very soon. Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday. I want to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas!
Come Back Soon,
Miz Helen
Carolina HeartStrings–Let me know how the soup works for you. Your Nutella Fluff Cocoa sounds perfect!
Miz Helen–Thank you and Merry Christmas to you, too. Full Plate Thursday is such a fun concept; thanks for the opportunity to share in it.