Lasagna Soup with Sausage & Kale

Enjoy the complex flavors of lasagna in easy soup form with no layering necessary! This soup is a hearty concoction made with all of the best elements of a classic red sauce lasagna. The noodles, sausage, and kale are very filling, and the ricotta and fresh basil garnish top each bowl to perfection. Serves 6.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 lb hot or sweet Italian sausage
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
4 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper Kosher salt
8 ounces lasagna noodles, broken into 2" pieces
1 bunch Tuscan kale, stemmed and torn into bite-sized pieces
4 oz. ricotta cheese, for garnish
Fresh basil, chiffonade, for garnish

Directions:
1. In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, sauté the onion in the olive oil until translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes.
2. Add in the sausage, and cook until browned. Don't fully break down the sausage, but instead keep in bite-sized chunks.
3. Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, oregano, crushed red pepper, Kosher salt, and pepper. Bring soup to a boil.
4. Add the lasagna noodles and boil until the noodles are just al dente. Stir in the kale and remove from heat.
5. Serve with a generous dollop of ricotta cheese, and a sprinkle of fresh basil chiffonade.