Aww, the joy of being able to hang up your coat for the winter. We have had beautiful weather here…nearly 70 degrees! I always feel bulky heading into work. I’ve got my coat on, tote bag, lunch bag, and coffee. So, losing one of those items felt good.
I was in a class with my favorite guys. I say favorite because every time I see them they yell, ” Mrs. Fanning!! Our favorite substitute. When are you going to stay here permanently?! ” 😀 Who wouldn’t love coming into that kind of greeting?!
So, here on the eve of the first day of Spring, I’m looking out the window and seeing what appears to be rain, but quickly turns into snow. Then, before I know it the wind was blowing so hard that it was snowing sideways! My first thought was of my coat hanging in the closet. It’s a long walk to the parking lot…burr! The wind was so strong I had to stop walking just to keep from being pushed over! Needless to say, I was freezing and covered with snow.
I’m already thinking of something hot for dinner, and soup always hits the spot on this type of day. Lasagna Soup is comforting, hearty, and filling! This soup is full of great vegetables and campanelle pasta. I love the shape of this pasta, it is wavy and likes to hold on to the broth.
My little kids still aren’t crazy about casserole type foods. They like to be able to pick out things and eat them individually. They do like noodles, meats, and veggies, so this is great…lasagna de-constructed. It’s easy to prepare and the perfect soup for a cold day.
This soup is just so full of great nutrients that I have to break it down for you to see!
Spinach
- An excellent source of vitamin K and calcium, which are needed for bone health.
- It is high in vitamin A, potassium, folate.
- A good source of dietary fiber.
- A great source of lutein. Lutein is used for managing age related blindness or macular degeneration.
Mushrooms
- One the few vegetables that are rich in selenium.
- Working along with vitamin E, selenium protects against cell damage from free radicals.
- Selenium also plays a role in the function of the thyroid and male reproductive system.
- Low in calories, fat and sodium.
- White button mushrooms are a source of three B vitamins—Riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid.
- These B vitamins help release energy from the fat, protein and carbohydrates in food.
- Mushrooms are a great source of protein for vegetarians.
- You can get complete protein when combined with other complementary amino acids.
Carrots
- Carrots are a good source of beta carotene which is converted to Vitamin A in the body.
- Vitamin A is very important for vision and cell growth.
- Vitamin A is also an antioxidant.
- Vitamin A is great for your eyes and can help night vision.
Tomatoes
- Tomatoes are a famous source of the carotenoid lycopene.
- Cooking tomatoes increase their health benefits.
- Lycopene is commonly used to manage prostate cancer in men, protect against osteoporosis in postmenopausal women, and against coronary heart disease.
- As an antioxidant, it interferes with LDL formation.
Oh my goodness, this soup is amazing! The italian sausage adds so much flavor to this soup. All of its seasonings blend with the vegetables and broth to make this soup taste like it took hours to prepare.
I wouldn’t say my guys are picky because they will eat just about anything, but is it strange that they don’t like casserole style dishes? Do you like to eat your foods separated?
- 16 oz ground mild Italian sausage
- 1 Tbsp Olive oil
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1 cup baby carrots, sliced
- 2 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 (14½ ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 cups campanelle pasta
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- Brown sausage in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Break up sausage with the back of a wooden spoon. Drain any fat that may be in saucepan.
- Add oil to saucepan and sauté onions and carrots until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant.
- Add in the mushrooms and saute another 3 minutes.
- Add broth, tomato. tomato sauce,and seasonings; bring to a boil.
- Drop in pasta and simmer until cooked, about 10 minutes, or according to package directions.
- Stir in spinach and cook until slightly wilted.
- Serve immediately.
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