Lasagna Bowl

Author: Heather Leno
Yield: 7 or 8 bowls 1-cup each Prep Time: 30 Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:

Ricotta-style Topping:

 1 brick firm tofu, rinsed and pressed between towels to absorb extra moisture.

1 tbsp lemon juice

1  1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup raw cashews

1 1/2 tsp nutritional yeast flakes

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp onion granules

1/2 tsp  garlic granules or powder

1 pinch or dash of celery salt

1 tbsp lemon juice

 

Soup:

1/2 medium onion (3/4 c.) chopped

2/3 cup mushrooms, sliced or diced

1/2 stick celery (1/4-1/3 c.) diced

1 medium carrot, julienned (1/2 c.) sliced or grated on medium grater

3 cups veggie broth

3 cups pasta sauce of choice — if your jar of sauce is a tad bit shy of 3 cups, add a little more broth

1/2 cup crumbled soy curls*

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp chicken-like seasoning & Italian Seasoning

1 tsp onion granules & soy sauce

1/2 tsp paprika & garlic granules or powder

1/4 tsp celery salt & cumin

4 1/2 whole-grain lasagna noodles, broken into bite-size pieces — use gluten free if needed

2 cups roughly chopped spinach leaves

Instructions:
  1. Take prepared tofu and squish with your hands until it is the size of cottage cheese curds.
  2. In a mixing bowl, combine tofu, 1 tbsp of lemon juice and the Italian seasoning.
  3. In a blender combine the remaining topping ingredients and blend until smooth.
  4. Pour over tofu and fold it all together.  Cover and chill.

 

  1. For the soup, in a large kettle sauté the onion, mushroom, celery and carrot.
  2. Add the broth, pasta sauce, soy curls, and seasonings.
  3. Bring this to a simmer while you break up the lasagna noodles.
  4. Once it is simmering nicely, add the noodles and the spinach.
  5. Continue to simmer for 15 minutes. –the simmer must be sufficient to cook the noodles, but do not do a heavy boil or it will evaporate away the sauce.
  6. Check noodles for doneness, adding a minute or two as needed.**
  7. Serve in soup bowls and top with a nice scoop of the ricotta-style topping.  Enjoy!
Notes:

*These can quickly be crumbled by putting them in a plastic bag and smashing them with something heavy like a rolling pin.  Do not powder, just crumble; they will expand.

**If you would like it soupier, just add a little more broth.

As with most soups and definitely with lasagna, it will taste better the second day.

This also freezes nicely to use for a quick lunch.  I like to freeze in individual-sized bowls with the scoop of topping already added.