Lasagna Soup is THE BEST!!! Vegan lasagna soup is a marvellous combination of all my favourite things and I didn't even realize it: pasta, tomato sauce, my beefy tofu crumbles, and melty vegan cheese. All in a bowl of pure comfort food bliss. It is flavourful, hearty, warming, so filling and satisfying. I have totally fallen in love with vegan lasagna soup and it will become a new go-to meal for me. I introduce you to the Best Vegan Lasagna Soup ever! (In my opinion).
If you are one of those people who would add extra sauce to your serving of lasagna, then Vegan Lasagna Soup is for you.
This isn't the quickest recipe to prepare and it's not the shortest list of ingredients either. But every step is easy and is totally worth the effort. I use my tofu crumbles, a technique I have used in my bolognese, chili, and tacos, so you may already be familiar with it. Then from there it's just a very simple tomato soup base. The pasta noodles get cooked right in the soup and you can decorate the soup with whatever toppings you like! Vegan cheeses, fresh basil, or crushed red chili flakes.
To Make the Best Vegan Lasagna Soup Ever:
Mix the nutritional yeast, soy sauce, olive oil, chili powder, garlic powder, and liquid smoke together in a large bowl. It will make a brown paste-like texture.
Crumble the block of tofu with your fingers into the bowl along with the seasoning. Mix the tofu crumbles with the seasoning making sure all of the tofu is evenly coated.
Spread the tofu crumbles evenly over the pan. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Stopping to stir the tofu every now and then. Keep a close eye on it towards the end so that it doesn't burn. You want the tofu to be nice and browned. The smaller crumbles will be darker than the larger crumbles, and that's ok because it will provide a variety of texture.
In the meantime, in a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions have turned translucent and begin to brown. Stir in 6 cups of vegetable broth, the crushed tomatoes, oregano, and basil. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, stir the broken lasagna noodles into the soup and continue to cook for 7 - 10 minutes until the noodles are al dente. Stirring often so they don't stick to each other.
*If you are using a gluten-free noodle: Cook the noodles separately according to the package directions and then stir them in. Some gluten-free noodles can get kind of slimy when cooked straight in the soup.
*If you plan to prepare this soup ahead of time: I recommend cooking the noodles separately closer to when you are ready to serve, as they will continue to get softer the longer they sit in the soup.
Lastly, stir in prepared tofu crumbles and cook for 1 more minute to heat through. The tofu crumbles and pasta will soak up the soup so if it gets too thick, so feel free to add more vegetable broth or water as needed to reach the desired consistency. I found that I didn't need any added salt or pepper as there was plenty in the vegetable broth I used but, of course, feel free to season to taste.
To Serve Vegan Lasagna Soup:
Divide among bowls and garnish with toppings of choice. I topped mine with dollops of my melty vegan mozzarella, my grateable mozzarella, a sprinkle of parmegan, and fresh basil. But this vegan lasagna soup is so tasty that I have enjoyed it as is without any added toppings.
Bon appetegan!
Sam.
The Best Vegan Lasagna Soup
Ingredients
For the tofu crumbles:
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (gluten-free if preferred)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1 block (350g) extra-firm tofu, crumbled
For the soup:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups vegetable broth (1 ½ litres), plus more if needed
- 1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes (3 ¼ cups)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 10 uncooked lasagna noodles (215g), broken into large pieces *see notes
Optional toppings:
- Melty Stretchy Gooey Vegan Mozzarella (or store-bought vegan mozzarella)
- Parmegan (vegan parmesan)
- Fresh basil leaves
Instructions
To make the tofu crumbles:
- Preheat your oven to 350F (180C). Line with parchment paper or lightly grease a large baking sheet.
- Mix the nutritional yeast, soy sauce, olive oil chili powder, garlic powder, and liquid smoke together in a large bowl. It will make a brown paste-like texture. Crumble the block of tofu with your fingers into the bowl along with the seasoning. (No need to press the tofu first, the excess water will bake out in the oven). Mix the tofu crumbles with the seasoning making sure all of the tofu is evenly coated.
- Spread the tofu crumbles evenly over the pan. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, stopping to stir the tofu every now and then. Keep a close eye on it towards the end so that it doesn't burn. You want the tofu to be nice and browned. The smaller crumbles will be darker than the larger crumbles, and that's ok because it will provide a variety of texture.
To make the vegan lasagna soup:
- In the meantime, in a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions have turned translucent and begin to brown. Stir in 6 cups of vegetable broth, the crushed tomatoes, oregano and basil. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, stir the broken lasagna noodles into the soup and continue to cook for 7 - 10 minutes until the noodles are al dente, stirring often so they don't stick to each other. Lastly, stir in prepared tofu crumbles and cook for 1 more minute to heat through. The tofu crumbles and pasta will soak up the soup so if it gets too thick, feel free to add more vegetable broth or water as needed to reach the desired consistency. I found that I didn’t need any added salt or pepper as there was plenty in the vegetable broth I used, but of course, feel free to season to taste. To serve, divide among bowls and garnish with toppings of choice.
Notes
Nutrition
Christine says
Excellent dish. Very tasty and something different. An easy way to make lasagne. Thanks you.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Thanks Christine!
Laula says
Fabulous! Easy to make, the crumbled tofu was tasty on its own… stuffed but having more!
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
It is very filling! We're glad you liked it!
Jorie says
I can’t wait to try this! Have you tried putting veggies into this? Like zucchini?
Sam Turnbull says
I haven't, but you're welcome to 🙂
Red says
Mouth watering recipe. Very good post
Jennifer Baker says
This sounds great! I’d love to make this recipe tommorrow. Instead of tofu crumbles I want to make a tofu ricotta, and maybe add some vegetables to the soup base. I will attempt to make this in the instant pot. Thank you for the recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
Enjoy!
Shari Z says
This soup was amazing! It really tastes like lasagna…only a bit soupier. ( not sure that’s a real word)
Lindsay says
Great soup! The tofu crumbles make it something special. I appreciate how the timing of everything works out and that most of the ingredients are pantry staples. I can't wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow!
Karen says
I was most amazed at the flavor of the tofu. Most recipes still have a tofu taste, this was wonderful!! I added some red lentils for fiber and really enjoyed the meal! It was tasty and satisfying. Thank you!
Christine Drummond says
Absolutely loved this soup!
Kathy says
Hi Sam!
I just wanted to let you know one of my favorite things about you is…well, TWO of my favorite things…no THREE…are: 1) Your endless energy and positivity, 2) Your amazing recipes, many of which I’ve tried, and 3) your “brand”—it is SO easy to spot one of your recipes on my Pinterest pages because of your easy-to-read and consistent labels for each and every recipe. Actually, I love everything about you, so there are technically more than 3. 🙂
(My daughter is getting married in October 2022, and I’ve been tasked with a shower for her in September. It will be 100% vegan. I may not even tell anyone they’ll be eating vegan fare. I want to surprise them with how delicious it can be).