Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup
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My husband goes bonkers for this Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup! Which is great for me because a Crockpot lasagna soup recipe is 1000x easier than making a traditional lasagna. Serve it with a simple winter salad and homemade garlic bread for a delicious meal that’s hearty, flavorful, cozy – but with minimal effort and absolutely no layering.
If you’ve been with me long enough, then you know I’ve dedicated this blog to making laborious recipes so much simpler! Lasagna is one of those dishes I love to eat, but don’t have the energy to make. I mean, between the boiling, sauteeing, waiting, layering, more layering, cleaning, and it’s still not even in the oven–I’m over it. That’s why I absolutely love this Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup. All the deliciousness of a baked lasagna, but with a fraction of the work.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe for Lasagna Soup
- Easy – All the delicious flavors of lasagna, with none of the work and no layering.
- Delicious – Hearty, cozy, and super flavorful. It’s the perfect comfort food.
- Crowd Pleaser – Family friendly and loved by kids, grown ups and everyone in between!
Lasagna Soup Crockpot Ingredients
This easy lasagna soup recipe has two parts– the saucy soup bit with noodles and the creamy ricotta topping. Here’s what you’ll need for both:
For the Soup
- Lean ground beef – I like to use a 90% lean ground beef.
- Italian sausage – I use ground Italian pork sausage. If you can find it, just get links and remove them from the casing before cooking. You can use hot or sweet Italian sausage.
- White Onion – diced
- Tomato sauce (marinara sauce)– Use your favorite store bought or homemade tomato sauce.
- Chicken broth – I like to use low-sodium broth for this particular recipe, since the sausage can be salty.
- Fresh garlic cloves – minced or crushed.
- Italian seasoning – or a mix of dried basil and oregano. You can also add in a couple tablespoons of pesto sauce for extra flavor.
- Tomato paste
- Dried Lasagna noodles – uncooked and broken into bite-size pieces (don’t use the oven ready kind). I like to get the wavy noodles, so you can really tell it’s a lasagna soup!
- Salt and pepper
For the Ricotta Topping
- Ricotta cheese– I use whole milk ricotta.
- Grated Parmesan cheese – My favorite cheese blend is a combination of Parmesan and pecorino romano. It has a lot more flavor and cuts that funky aftertaste that Parmesan sometimes gets.
- Salt and pepper – just a little bit to round out the seasonings.
How to Make Crockpot Lasagna Soup
See recipe card instructions for fully-detailed directions.
Step 1.
In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the ground beef, Italian sausage, and diced onion.
Cook until the meat is browned and cooked through and the onions are soft.
Transfer the cooked meat to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off the grease.
Step 2.
Transfer the meat mixture into the slow cooker. Add the tomato sauce, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, garlic, tomato paste, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Stir to combine.
Cover and cook the soup on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours.
While the soup is cooking, make the ricotta topping by simply mixing the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper together. Store in the fridge until serving time.
Step 3.
Once the soup has finished cooking, stir in the broken lasagna noodles.
Cover and cook on high heat until the noodles are just al dente; this will take about 15 minutes.
Step 4.
When the noodles are done, ladle the soup into bowls and top with a generous dollop of ricotta cheese mixture, extra Parmesan cheese, and chopped fresh basil or parsley. Serve hot.
Substitutions & Variations
- Beef broth or vegetable stock may be used in place of chicken stock or broth.
- Stir in 1 1/2 cups of farfalle or cavatappi noodles in place of the lasagna noodles.
- For extra veggies, add in grated carrots, sliced mushrooms, diced zucchini, or a couple of cups of fresh baby spinach. Stir the spinach in at the end of cooking and let it wilt before serving.
- You can use all ground beef in place of the sausage and beef combo. Ground turkey and turkey sausage may be used as well for a leaner option.
- Gluten-free lasagna noodles may be used; just boil them separately from the soup, and add them to the soup bowls at serving time.
Best Lasagna Soup Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Drain the meat on a paper towel and use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage and ground beef to the soup. This prevents the soup from getting oily. You can always skim the fat off the top before adding the lasagna noodles if you forget to drain the meat.
- Break the lasagna noodles into small or bite sized pieces. They’ll double in size after cooking.
- Use regular lasagna noodles and not the “oven ready” type
- I like adding the garlic to the Crockpot instead of sauteeing it with the meat, so I don’t burn it.
- This soup is best the day it’s made since the noodles will continue soaking up the soup as it sits.
How to Store Leftover Lasagna Soup
As I mentioned earlier, one thing to know about this soup– the noodles will soak up the broth as it sits.
If you’re making this recipe for one or two people and expect leftovers, cook and store the noodles separately to keep the broth from disappearing.
But if there’s just a little bit left after dinner, it’s fine to store the soup and noodles together. Let it cool, then transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
How to Reheat Lasagna Soup
Reheat leftover soup gently on the stovetop over low or medium-low heat. Add a little extra chicken broth or marinara sauce if you need to thin the soup.
Freezing Instructions
The soup base (without noodles) can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
To serve, thaw and reheat on the stove or in the slow cooker. Once simmering, add the dried noodles and cook until al dente. Top with the fresh ricotta mixture.
Note: I don’t recommend freezing the soup with the noodles—they’ll turn mushy.
What to Serve with Crock Pot Lasagna Soup
Ladle soup into bowls and top with a generous dollop of the ricotta mixture and extra Parmesan cheese. Serve with any of the following:
- Sourdough Grilled Cheese
- Homemade Garlic Bread
- Garlic Crostini
- Parker House Dinner Rolls
- Apple and Walnut Salad
- Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad
More Soup Recipes You’ll Love:
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Crockpot Lasagna Soup
Equipment
- Slow Cooker, 7 or 8 quart model
Ingredients
For The Lasagna Soup
- ½ lb lean ground beef, 90% lean
- ½ lb Italian sausage, hot or sweet
- 1 cup diced onion (1/2 large)
- 24 oz tomato sauce, marinara
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (I like adding it to the Crockpot so I don’t burn it)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 6 uncooked lasagna noodles, broken into bite sized pieces. Do not use the oven ready kind.
- ½ teaspoon coarse Kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
For the Ricotta Topping:
- 8 oz (1 cup) whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I like a parmesan and pecorino romano blend)
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt and a pinch of pepper, to taste
Instructions
Make the ricotta topping:
- In a small bowl, mix ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Store in the fridge until the soup is ready to serve.
To make the soup:
- In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the ground beef, Italian sausage, and diced onion until the meat is browned and cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a paper towel lined plate to drain off the grease.
- Once drained, add the meat mixture into the slow cooker. Add the tomato sauce, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, garlic, tomato paste, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook the soup on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours. Cooking note: Cook the soup long enough to come to a simmer and bubble around the edges for 1 hour.
- Before serving, stir in the broken lasagna noodles. Cover and cook on high heat until the noodles are just tender, about 15 minutes. Once the noodles are done, Serve right away with a dollop of ricotta topping.
Notes
- Drain the fat from the meat thoroughly so the soup doesn’t turn oily. If needed, excess fat can be skimmed off the soup before adding the noodles.
- If you expect leftovers, boil the noodles separately and store them apart from the soup. This keeps the noodles from soaking up all the broth and turning mushy.
