White beans, mushrooms, and spinach are gently cooked in an herby tomato broth with lasagna noodles and creamy (dairy-free) macadamia nut ricotta cheese.
Course Soup
Cuisine American, Italian, vegan
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 45 minutesminutes
Soaking Time 2 hourshours
Total Time 2 hourshours45 minutesminutes
Servings 6people
Author Stephanie McKercher, RDN
Equipment
8-quart (or larger) soup pot
High-speed blender
Ingredients
Soup:
8ounceslasagna noodles,broken into pieces (about 9 noodles)
2tablespoonsgrapeseed oilor cooking oil of choice
1medium onion,diced
2cups (8 ounces)sliced baby bella mushrooms
4clovesgarlic,minced or grated
2teaspoonsdried oregano
2teaspoonscrushed rosemary
2teaspoonsdried thyme
1(28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2tablespoonstomato paste
4cupsvegetable broth
1cupwater
1 ½cupscooked white beans(also called cannellini beans)
1(9-ounce) blockfrozen spinach (not thawed)
Salt and pepper to taste
Macadamia Nut Ricotta:
1 ½cupsmacadamia nuts,soaked 2-4 hours (see note 1)
2tablespoonslemon juice
1tablespoonnutritional yeast
½teaspoonsalt
¼teaspoongarlic powder
¼teaspoononion powder
Optional Garnish:
Fresh basil leaves
Fresh parsley
Crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
Prepare the soup:
Boil lasagna noodles in an 8-quart (or larger) pot of salted water for 12 minutes, or until al dente, stirring occasionally. Drain noodles and set aside.
Return the pot to the stovetop and reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the oil and onion and cook for 4 minutes, or until translucent.
Stir in mushrooms and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, or until the mushrooms darken.
Stir in oregano, rosemary, and thyme and cook for 2 minutes, or until the herbs are fragrant.
Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, vegetable broth, and water. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and stir in white beans and spinach. Cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and using a wooden spoon to break apart the spinach as it thaws.
Once the spinach is thawed and the flavors of the soup have melded together, turn off the heat and stir in the cooked lasagna noodles. (If the noodles are sticking, pull them apart before adding to the pot.) Add salt and pepper to taste and stir until the soup is evenly mixed.
Prepare the macadamia nut ricotta:
Drain the macadamia nuts from the soaking liquid and transfer them to a blender. Add lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder to the blender. Cover and blend on high for 2 minutes, or until the nuts are fully pureed and creamy. Pause to scrape the edges of the blender with a spatula as needed. (If the nuts aren’t blending, add a tablespoon of water and blend again. Repeat as needed, using as little water as possible. A high-speed blender works best for this recipe.)
Serve:
Divide the lasagna soup between bowls and spoon the macadamia nut ricotta into each bowl. Garnish with fresh basil and parsley and crushed red pepper flakes if desired.
Notes
To soak macadamia nuts, pour them into a medium bowl and cover with water. Place a paper towel or clean dishcloth on top of the bowl and allow the nuts to soak at room temperature for 2-4 hours.
Meal Prep and Storage: If you are making this recipe in advance, do not add the cooked lasagna noodles to the soup until you are ready to serve. Store the soup, lasagna noodles, and macadamia nut ricotta in separate, airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.