Colder temps outside just call for soup. I have a few new soups I want to try out and if they are a go, I’ll share them with you after I test them out, make adjustments, work out any issues and make sure they are blog worthy. This first one is a hearty soup full of Italian flavor and all the yumminess of one classic pasta dish my family loves – Lasagna! I’ve seen soup on this flavor concept called Lasagna Soup, but I don’t like that name because I’m not using lasagna noodles in the soup and when I see recipes with those lasagna noodles in soup, it just seems a little odd to me. I like a smaller noodle in the soup, one that fits in a spoon instead of sliding off the side when you are trying to eat it, like a lasagna noodle may do. When I was discussing what name I should use for this soup, my husband said it’s like goulash, which was one of his favorite meals his mom made for him. My oldest liked the Zuppa flair to the name so Goulash Zuppa was the winner. If you haven’t guessed, zuppa is soup in Italian. We all love a good lasagna. I make it a few times a year. Here’s my recipe for lasagna, in case you are interested. There are days when I just don’t feel like spending all that time in the kitchen and I want a little bit lighter of a dish. With the lasagna like flavors, this soup is a great addition to our rotation and satisfies that lasagna craving to hold them off a bit. This soup is pretty quick to make. I’d say around 30-45 minutes minimum. I prefer the stove top, but you could also make this in a slow cooker.
Goulash Zuppa
Makes around 4.5 quarts
Ingredients:
2 TBS olive oil
1 medium onion – diced
2-3 cloves of garlic – minced
1/2 lb ground hamburger
1/2 lb ground pork sausage. I use mild, but you could use spicy if you prefer a little heat. You could also substitute turkey sausage to cut down on fat.
6-8 oz tomato paste
28 oz tomato sauce
28 oz diced tomatoes
5 C beef broth
1/4 teas red pepper flakes
2 teas Italian Seasoning
1 teas dried basil
1 teas dried oregano
1/2 teas garlic powder
1 teas Kosher Salt
1 teas fresh ground black pepper
16 oz small shell pasta, or any shape you like.
shredded Italian cheese for topping
Directions:
In a large soup pot, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add in diced onion and sauté for a few minutes until translucent. Add in minced garlic, lower heat so you don’t burn garlic.
Add in ground beef and sausage. Stir and break this up until it’s cooked.
Add in the red pepper flakes and a little of the Italian Seasoning and pepper to the meat.
Stir in tomato paste, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.
Pour in beef broth.
Add in remaining spices.
Stir and bring this to a boil.
Pour in the pasta and continue to boil for another 9-10 minutes. Stir frequently to make sure pasta is not sticking to the bottom of the pot. After 9-10 minutes, turn heat down to a simmer until ready to serve.
Top each bowl with a little shredded Italian cheese. You may need to add a cup or so of water or beef broth to any remaining soup as it will thicken as it sits.
Enjoy!
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