Minestrone Soup with Collard Greens + Black Eyed Peas

gluten-free, vegan // yields ~14 cups, 6-8 servings

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)

1 cup carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

1 celery stick, thinly sliced

1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

5 cups no/low-sodium vegetable broth

1, 28oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes, (or regular)

1, 15oz can fire roasted crushed tomatoes, (or regular)

2 cups ribbon-cut collard greens, (de-stemmed)

1, 15oz can black eyed peas, (sub chickpeas if desired)

1 1/4 cup gluten-free macaroni noodles

salt + pepper to taste

fresh parsley and parmesan cheese, (to top)

Heat a large pot (at least 5qt) over medium with the oil. Once hot, add in the onion with a big pinch of salt. Cook the onion for about 5 minutes and then add in the carrots and celery. Cook for another 5-7 minutes until starting to soften. Stir frequently. Add in the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds then stir in the basil and oregano.

Slowly pour in the broth and tomatoes. Stir in about 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper (Total amount you need to add will vary on sodium levels in your broth. If using full sodium wait until the end to add more salt.). Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Taste and add more salt and pepper to your liking.

Stir in the collards, beans, and noodles. Cook until noodles are slightly al dente, as they’ll continue to cook once taken off the heat. Taste and add more salt + pepper if desired. Serve with fresh parsley and freshly grated parmesan if desired. (Thenoodles soak up quite a bit of liquid. Add more broth if needed.)

Let soup cool before storing in the fridge for 5-6 days.

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Notes: If you can’t find or don’t want to use collards, lacinato (dino) kale would be a great replacement, or any other sturdy green. I don’t recommend spinach. If using gluten-free noodles, they will expand in the soup after refrigeration. They tend to fall apart after the initial cook as well.

I’m going to call the current season, “sprinter.” You know, winter + spring. It’s the time when one day it’s 70 degrees and the following day you have a fresh blanket of snow on the ground and want to bury yourself in a pile of blankets.

We could also call this, “soup season.” Because, even if it’s 70 degrees it’s still not too hot for a comforting bowl of soup.

Vegetable Lasagna Soup [with easy vegan option] | edibleperspective.com #glutenfree #vegan

I believe I’ve had this recipe on my mind for over one full year, and I’m kicking myself for just getting around to making it now. While perusing Heidi’s site the other week I noticed she made a slow cooker lasagna soup that looked outstanding and that was all the convincing I needed to finally pull the trigger.

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While I didn’t whip this up in the slow cooker it’s not a difficult recipe, despite it’s lengthiness. That was mostly due to the ricotta toppings, of which you have 2 choices.

I always love coming up with ways to veganize recipes and for this recipe I wanted to show both options. I actually split the recipe in 1/2 just before it was done cooking to test that each method would work.

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My favorite GF lasagna noodles are from Tinkyada. Cooking the noodles until slightly al dente and rinsing thoroughly with water will ensure the best texture and wash away the starchy residue leftover from cooking.

I love the thick, doughy quality of these noodles.

Vegetable Lasagna Soup [with easy vegan option] | edibleperspective.com #glutenfree #vegan

Just before the soup is done cooking you’ll blend in some of the ricotta—or, “ricotta”—mixture to add a bit of creaminess to the soup.

Vegetable Lasagna Soup [with easy vegan option] | edibleperspective.com #glutenfree #vegan

And then it’s all about the veggies + noodles. I kept things simple with spinach and mushrooms, but you could definitely add finely chopped kale, zucchini, eggplant, fresh tomato, etc.

Vegetable Lasagna Soup [with easy vegan option] | edibleperspective.com #glutenfree #vegan

From start to finish I would say this recipe took about 45 minutes. Once you have the pot of water going you can start on the soup and once the soup is simmering you can whip up the ricotta. There are only a few ingredients you’ll have to chop, so the prep time is minimal.

Vegetable Lasagna Soup [with easy vegan option] | edibleperspective.com #glutenfree #vegan

Definitely a warm and cozy meal, best accompanied with grilled cheese or a couple slices of avocado toast.

Vegetable Lasagna Soup [with easy vegan option] | edibleperspective.com #glutenfree #vegan

Print this!

loosely based off Heidi’s, Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lasagna Soup

Vegetable Lasagna Soup with Ricotta or Tofu-“Ricotta”

gluten-free, vegan option // yields 6+ servings

for the soup:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
2, 28oz cans crushed tomatoes, with liquid
3 cups low/no-sodium vegetable broth
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh basil, loosely packed
3 tablespoons finely chopped oregano, loosely packed
8-10 cups baby spinach, loosely packed
2 cups sliced baby mushrooms
1/2 cup ricotta or tofu ricotta, recipes below
3/4 – 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
8-10 lasagna noodles, gluten-free if needed

for the ricotta:

8oz whole milk ricotta
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
pinch of salt

for the tofu ricotta:

1 clove garlic
1, 12oz block extra-firm tofu, drained and gently squeezed with a kitchen towel
1 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
6-8 fresh basil leaves
8-10 fresh oregano leaves
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon salt + pepper

Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water to prevent sticking [helps with GF noodles especially].

While the noodles cook heat a large pot over medium heat with the olive oil. Once hot, add the onion and cook until softened and starting to brown, 7-10 minutes. Add in the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds – 1 minute, until fragrant. Slowly pour [it will spatter] the tomatoes with their liquid into the pot and stir to combine. Stir in the broth, fresh herbs, and about 1/2 teaspoon salt + pepper.

Remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender until consistent in texture, but not pureed. Or, pulse in batches in your blender. Return to the heat and bring to a simmer [reduce heat if needed]. Simmer for 25-30 minutes to allow the flavors to fully develop.

While the soup simmers, prepare ricotta of your choice.

For the whole milk ricotta: Combine the ricotta, parmesan, pepper, and salt in a bowl and mix with a fork until combined. Store in the fridge until ready to use.

For the tofu ricotta: Place the garlic clove in your large food processor and turn on until minced. Add in the tofu, nutritional yeast, olive oil, and salt + pepper. Turn on until smooth and fully combined. Scrape the bowl if needed. Pulse in the fresh herbs until well integrated. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Store in the fridge until ready to use.

In the last 5 minutes that the soup simmers add in 1/2 cup of either ricotta mixture and blend using your immersion blender [you could also briskly whisk it in, or combine 1 cup of the soup with the ricotta and blend in your blender, then stir back into the pot]. Taste and add more salt/pepper if needed or a pinch of red pepper flakes for spice.

Stir in the spinach and mushrooms until the spinach starts to wilt. Gently fold in 8-10 lasagna noodles 1 at a time [to prevent sticking] and let simmer for 1-2 minutes. Serve hot with a dollop of either ricotta on top, a sprinkling of fresh herbs, and red pepper flakes for a kick of heat.

notes: If you want small pieces of noodles that are easily scooped with a spoon, break the raw noodles before boiling or slice them after cooking. For a smooth broth you can fully puree before simmering if desired. If you don’t have a food processor for the tofu ricotta a brisk mashing/whisking should get the job done, but you may need to add 1 tablespoon of milk or 1 tablespoon more oil to help soften. Feel free to sub in 1 can of fire roasted tomatoes for extra flavor.

Vegetable Lasagna Soup [with easy vegan option] | edibleperspective.com #glutenfree #vegan

Bring it on, sprinter.

This soup + I are ready for you.

Ashley