Pumpkin Lasagna Soup
Because pumpkin is still relevant
Happy Sunday! Hoping you are having a recharging and restful weekend. Weekends for me feel like the time to reconnect with myself. I’m trying my best to stay of social media during my downtime, but not without struggle. That’s why I love Substack as a place for slower media consumption. It feels way more intimate and non dopamine-spiking, perfect for a chill Sunday morning.
In my (humble) opinion, pumpkin is still in. I wish I could say the same all year round but unfortunately I think it does lose relevance past the holidays, maybe even past November?? So that means we at least have a few days, and obviously I’m gonna milk the pumpkin thing for all it’s worth. This recipe is one you’re definitely going to want to pull your cans out for. It is simply divine and the perfect thing to make as we (regretfully) wave goodbye to the fall season.
This was inspired by all the beautiful lasagna soups gracing my social media feeds. I love the concept of incorporating all of the classic flavours and textures of lasagna in soup form. Swap the crushed tomato for pumpkin puree and basil for fall herbs and you have the most delectable and cozy bowl of soup. Also, the tofu-cashew ricotta addition takes everything up a notch and for that reason it is absolutely essential.
Pumpkin Lasagna Soup
(serves 3-4)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
8oz plant-based sausage sub (I used beyond meat hot Italian)
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp thyme
1 tbsp sage
2 tbsps tomato paste
1/3 cup white wine (sub with water)
1 cup pumpkin puree
3 cups water + 4 tsp veggie stock powder (or 3 cups veggie broth)
1 cup full fat coconut or oat milk
150g lasagna noodles
Tofu Ricotta:
1/2 cup cashews, soaked
1/2 454g block medium firm tofu
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
Juice half lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp oat milk
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add sausages and break them up with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, thyme and sage and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Then add the tomato paste and cook to let it lightly caramelize and develop some colour, another 1-2 minutes.
Pour in the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pot to release any stuck bits. Then add pumpkin puree, veggie broth, and oat/coconut milk. Bring to a simmer and lower the heat to medium low. Simmer for 10-12 minutes.
In the meantime, make the tofu ricotta. Simply combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. It will not be perfectly smooth but that’s not what we want (ricotta has a bit of a grittiness to it).
Break up your lasagna noodles and add them to the soup. I keep some pieces larger, some smaller. Your choice! Cook for another 5-7 minutes or until the noodles are al dente.
Serve in bowls and top with a scoop of the tofu ricotta, a sprinkle of chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy!
In other news, let’s talk about dinner! I’ve been eating good, I mean, as always, but extra good this week. Sometimes I decide to put a little extra effort (and love) into dinnertime as a thank you to me for all that I’ve accomplished throughout the day (plus it’s good wind down time). And I think you should too because you deserve it. I hope this serves as a little dinnertime inspo for you.
Some of these may or may not be included in future letters. Stay tuned. Also, I wanted to remind everyone who doesn’t already know that bibimbap should be mixed. It’s the law. I don’t make the rules.
And with that I wish you a lovely week of good vibes and good food. See you soon!
-Raquel 🧡