a simple real food recipe :: spinach lasagna soup

This is one of my family staples for dinner!And if you know me, and have ever had a new baby, been in the hospital, or just needed help with some dinners – you will recognize this meal as my staple meal to bring 🙂

This meal is so perfect for a new mama since it is full of homemade, nutrient rich, beef stock to replenish mama after her marathon pregnancy and birth. It is full of iron rich grassfed beef and spinach to replenish her blood supply too. If you wish you can add more iron rich good quality ground liver in with the beef to cook – no one will EVER notice 😉 AND it is kid friendly enough that if there are other little mouths to feed in the house, you can be sure they will get a good meal in too!Give it a try and let me know what you think!

You’ll need:

1 lb grassfed ground beef

3-4 TB friendly fat to cook in (butter, coconut oil, tallow, lard)

2 medium onions chopped

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

4 small or 2 large tomatoes, seeded, juices scooped out, and chopped

2 quarts homemade beef stock (chicken stock works too)

1 TB Italian seasoning

2 cups brown rice pasta

Handfulls of organic spinach – it really wilts so don’t be afraid to really get a lot in there – I use a whole small box!

Sea salt/pepper to taste

Grated parmesan cheese or sour cream to top if desired

1. Brown the beef in a little bit of the friendly fat, in a big soup pot, and set aside – don’t drain the fat – that is major flavor and grassfed beef fat is extremely nutritious. Grassfed ground beef is pretty lean anyway – it won’t be super fatty or greasy I promise.
2. Add some friendly fat and the onions to the pot you just cooked the beef in. Saute them in the beef fat and butter with a pinch of salt to bring out their juices and sweeten. About 5 or so minutes.
3. Add the garlic and cook for a minute.
4. Add the stock, beef, seasoning, and tomatoes and bring to a boil.
5. Do not reduce to a simmer – add the noodles and boil in the stock until they are al dente.
6. Turn the heat down to low and add the spinach to wilt and cook through – will only take a few minutes or so.
7. Top with Parmesan cheese or sour cream if you want!

Kitchen Tips:

1. If you are going to freeze this you will not want to cook the pasta all the way through otherwise they will be pretty soggy. It does turn out very good after being frozen, and most often I freeze a whole batch flat in a gallon freezer bag for a new mama – it slides right in the freezer so nice and she can bring it out when she is ready for it  🙂
2. You could use rice or quinoa instead of the noodles. If you are grain free try potatoes.
3. Read THIS about the benefits of grassfed beef.
4. Read THIS to see the diet recommendations for pregnant and nursing mamas! This is such a great meal for them!

YOUR TURN!

What is your go to bring to a new mama meal?? Let me know what you think once you try it!

This post was shared at Real Food Forager’s Fat Tuesday and The Polikva Family’s Family Table Tuesday, and Holistic Squid’s Party Wave Wednesday!