Sausage and Kale Lasagna Soup

Please allow me to introduce Sausage and Kale Lasagna Soup. The hungover lazy human’s healthy solution to a lasagna craving!

I’ve been making some version of this soup for years now, and I’m pumped to finally share its wonders with all of you. The one-pot recipe delivers all the badass, comforting flavors of lasagna (Noodles! Meaty tomato sauce! Melting cheese!) without the gut-busting consequences or major time commitment. Plus, the lightened up ingredient list—which includes lean turkey sausage, zucchini, mushrooms, brown rice lasagna noodles, plenty of nutrient-dense kale, and a responsible amount of cheese—leaves you feeling simultaneously satisfied and well-nourished. Joy of joys!! Better still, the whole shebang comes together in about 40 minutes, and it’s absolutely impossible to screw up. Cross my heart.

In other great news, this soup can easily be modified to suit your personal tastes and what you have on hand. I really LOVE the texture of naturally gluten-free brown rice lasagna noodles, but if you don’t (or can’t find them), sub any whole grain noodles you like. Experiment with different types of sausage, and feel free to go heavier on the cheese if you’re feeling indulgent, or leave it out if you don’t do dairy. Vegetarians can ditch the sausage and add extra zucchini and/or mushrooms, and don’t be afraid to replace the baby kale with your favorite greens. Curly or lacinato kale, spinach, and even Swiss chard would all be excellent options. You. Do. You.

I love lasagna soup when I’m under the proverbial weather (lasagna was my go-to hangover food in college–strange, but true), but it’s also a great go-to winter meal for both busy weeknights and casual entertaining. Just add wine, salad, and maybe some crusty bread, and have yourself a little dinner party.

Cooking for one or two? Excellent! Leftovers keep deliciously for 3-4 days in the fridge and are perfect for sassy desk lunching. Sometimes I even add some soup to a small skillet and poach an egg or two in it for breakfast. Highly recommend.

Happy weekending, friends!

Sausage and Kale Lasagna Soup: (Serves 4 generously)

Ingredients:
1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ medium yellow onion, minced
4 ounces baby Bella or cremini mushrooms, halved, then thinly sliced crosswise
3 large garlic cloves, minced
½ pound sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 medium zucchini, diced
1½ tablespoons tomato paste
¼ cup dry red wine
1 28-ounce can crushed fire roasted tomatoes (Yes, you can used regular crushed tomatoes if you can’t find fire roasted.)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
3½ cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
4 ounces no-boil brown rice lasagna noodles (or whole grain lasagna noodles of your choice), broken 1”-2” pieces
3 packed cups baby kale, roughly chopped
For serving:
½ cup ricotta cheese
½ cup grated/shredded mozzarella cheese (I like fresh mozzarella, but you do you.)
Thinly sliced fresh basil

Preparing your Sausage and Kale Lasagna Soup:

-Heat the olive oil in a medium Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent, and the mushrooms have released most of their liquid.

-Add the sausage to the pan and cook, breaking the meat up into smaller pieces with a spatula, until no longer pink. (About 4-5 minutes.)

-Add the zucchini and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, just to mellow the acidity of the tomato paste. Add the red wine and cook for a minute or so until the liquid has evaporated. (We’re deglazing here, people, so be sure to scrape up any delicious browned bits from the bottom of the pan.)

-Stir in the crushed tomatoes, oregano, crushed red pepper (if using), and vegetable broth.

-Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and add the lasagna noodles.

-Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are al dente. Add the kale to the soup. (It will seem like a lot, but it’s going to cook down, I promise.)

-Cook for 1-2 minutes, just until the kale has wilted. (If your soup is thicker than you’d like, feel free to thin it with a little extra vegetable broth.) Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

-Ladle the soup into bowls and top each bowl with 2 tablespoons ricotta, 2 tablespoons mozzarella (or more if you want to get crazy) and plenty of fresh basil. Serve immediately.

Sausage and Kale Lasagna Soup

Author - Serena Wolf

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ medium yellow onion minced
• 4 ounces baby Bella or cremini mushrooms halved, then thinly sliced crosswise
• 3 large garlic cloves minced
• ½ pound sweet Italian turkey sausage casings removed
• 1 medium zucchini diced
• 1½ tablespoons tomato paste
• ¼ cup dry red wine
• 1 28- ounce can crushed fire roasted tomatoes Yes, you can used regular crushed tomatoes if you can’t find fire roasted.
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper optional
• 3½ cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 4 ounces no-boil brown rice lasagna noodles or whole grain lasagna noodles of your choice, broken 1”-2” pieces
• 3 packed cups baby kale roughly chopped

For serving:

• ½ cup ricotta cheese
• ½ cup grated/shredded mozzarella cheese I like fresh mozzarella, but you do you.
• Thinly sliced fresh basil

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a medium Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent, and the mushrooms have released most of their liquid.
• Add the sausage to the pan and cook, breaking the meat up into smaller pieces with a spatula, until no longer pink. (About 4-5 minutes.)
• Add the zucchini and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, just to mellow the acidity of the tomato paste. Add the red wine and cook for a minute or so until the liquid has evaporated. (We’re deglazing here, people, so be sure to scrape up any delicious browned bits from the bottom of the pan.)
• Stir in the crushed tomatoes, oregano, crushed red pepper (if using), and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and add the lasagna noodles. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are al dente.
• Add the kale to the soup. (It will seem like a lot, but it’s going to cook down, I promise.) Cook for 1-2 minutes, just until the kale has wilted. (If your soup is thicker than you'd like, feel free to thin it with a little extra vegetable broth.) Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
• -Ladle the soup into bowls and top each serving with 2 tablespoons ricotta, 2 tablespoons mozzarella (or more if you want to get crazy) and plenty of fresh basil. Serve immediately.