This easy crockpot lasagna soup is a lifesaver for those of you who love lasagna but don’t want to go through the hassle of layering it. It’s got all of the meaty, tomato-y, cheesy goodness of a classic lasagna but in deliciously slurpable soup form.
Lasagna is one of those classic comfort foods that holds a special place in the hearts of many (certainly in mine). There’s something about those cheesy, meaty layers divided by sheets of pasta smothered in rich tomato sauce that warm the mind, body, and soul. This creative recipe takes all that’s good about traditional lasagna and turns it into a super easy, low-maintenance soup that allows you to bypass the tedious layering required to make lasagna. Slurpable noodles float in a rich tomato broth loaded with carrots, diced tomatoes, onions, garlic, and perfectly browned ground beef and Italian sausage. The soup is ladled into bowls and topped with refreshing ricotta, parmesan, and mozzarella.
Why I Love This Easy Crockpot Lasagna Soup Recipe
Not sold on the concept of lasagna soup yet? Allow me to fill you in on a couple of the things that make it a totally un-missable culinary event.
- Comfort in a bowl. If you are looking for something to warm you up, this is your soup. The rich broth, the smooth noodles, the melty cheese… it’s total yum!
- Easy peasy. Making lasagna can feel like a lot of work – from simmering and layering to baking. Luckily, this crockpot lasagna soup recipe takes 90% of the hassle out of the process.
- Customizable. You can easily tweak this recipe to tailor it to your dietary needs and taste preferences. Try a different protein, add more veggies, or experiment with cheeses.
What You’ll Need
- Olive oil
- Yellow onion – You could use a red or white onion in a pinch.
- Garlic
- Meat – I used sweet Italian sausage and ground beef. You could try spicy Italian sausage instead or just use all ground beef. If you go the ground beef route, you may want to go a little heavier on the seasoning.
- Carrots
- Canned tomato goodies – Diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and tomato sauce.
- Chicken stock – It’s best to use low-sodium chicken stock. You can always add more salt later.
- Seasoning – Italian seasoning, salt, and ground black pepper.
- Lasagna noodles – You’ll want to break the lasagna noodles into pieces before adding them to the crockpot. You could use another pasta shape if you’d like.
- Cheese – Ricotta, parmesan, and shredded mozzarella.
- Fresh parsley
How to Make Crockpot Lasagna Soup
- Saute the aromatics. In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent. Add the garlic and saute until aromatic.
- Brown the meat. Add the sausage and beef and cook until golden brown, breaking it up as you go. Discard the grease.
- Load the crock pot. Add the contents of the skillet to a crockpot along with the carrots, canned tomato products, chicken stock, and seasonings. Stir to combine.
- Cook. Close the crockpot and cook on high for 3 hours.
- Cook the noodles. Stir in the noodles, cover, and cook on high for 30 minutes.
- Serve. Serve in bowls topped with ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, and parsley.
Recipe Tips For Success
Before diving into this recipe, have a read through these tips and tricks from my kitchen to yours. You won’t be sorry!
- Don’t skip the saute. As tempting as it is to just toss all of the ingredients into the crockpot and let the machine work its magic, you will be sad if you don’t saute the aromatics and brown the meat first. This process doesn’t take long and it brings so much added depth of flavor to the final product.
- Don’t crowd the pan. Choose a skillet that is large enough to fit all of the meat with plenty of room to breathe. You want as much sausage and beef as possible to come into contact with the hot surface of the skillet so that it caramelizes properly. If your skillet is relatively small, brown the meat in batches.
- Choose your noodles wisely. Have a close look at the lasagna noodle package. Note that oven-ready lasagna noodles will cook more quickly than standard noodles and, therefore, will not need as much time in the crockpot.
- Don’t overcook the pasta. Once you add the noodles to the crockpot, keep an eye. They should take about 30 minutes to cook (if they are standard noodles) but check on them around 20-25 minutes. No one wants a soggy pasta!
Variations
So, I gave you my favorite lasagna soup recipe, but what’s perfect for me doesn’t have to be perfect for you. You can easily tweak this recipe to fit your dietary needs and taste preferences. Here are some fun ways to play with it.
- Add more veggies. I kept things pretty simple here but you could easily stir some spinach or kale in at the end of the cooking process or add some broccoli or zucchini to the crockpot along with the carrots if you’re looking for more vegetable matter.
- Swap out your proteins. I used Italian sausage and ground beef but you could use just sausage or just beef. Alternatively, you could swap one or both out for ground chicken or turkey. Vegetarian? Impossible Meat will work great. Just make sure you swap the chicken stock out for veggie stock as well.
- Try a different pasta. While it won’t be “lasagna” soup anymore you could certainly change the lasagna noodles out for a different pasta. Penne or Rigatoni would work well.
- Consider burrata. Looking to add an elegant, decadent twist to your bowl of comfort? Swap the mozzarella and ricotta out for a hearty dollop of fresh burrata cheese.
What to Serve With Soup
Lighten the mood with a refreshing salad. Toss some greens with Homemade Italian Salad Dressing, or throw together this quick, easy La Scala Chopped Salad. In a cozier mood? This soup pairs beautifully with roasted veggies on a winter day. Try my Parmesan Garlic Roasted Carrots or these simple Roasted Green Beans. And, of course, you are going to want to serve this rich, heartwarming soup with a crusty hunk of bread for dipping. Grab a loaf from the market or try your hand at my famous Homemade Focaccia.
How to Store & Reheat Leftovers
- To store. Once the soup has cooled to room temperature, seal it in an airtight container. You can store leftover lasagna soup in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To reheat. Allow the soup to thaw in the fridge (if frozen) before transferring it to a soup pot and reheating over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until warm. Otherwise, microwave individual portions in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until heated through.
More Crockpot Recipes to Try
Crockpots are such a convenient kitchen tool. Set it and forget it and come back to a delicious meal. Here are some of my other favorite crockpot recipes that I am dying for you to try.
- CrockPot Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Sweet Korean BBQ Beef Tacos
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken
- Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
- Slow Cooker Crack Chicken
- Slow Cooker Beef Chili
Crockpot Lasagna Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- ½ pound ground beef
- 4 carrots, sliced into rounds
- 28 ounce canned diced tomatoes
- 28 ounce canned crushed tomatoes
- 15 ounce canned tomato sauce
- 3 to 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces lasagna noodles, broken into pieces
- ¾ cup ricotta cheese
- ¾ cup freshly grated parmesan
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Saute the aromatics. In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 15 seconds or until aromatic.
- Brown the meat. Add the sausage and beef to the pan and cook until browned throughout, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon as you go. Drain the grease from the pan.
- Load the crock pot. Add the sauteed aromatics and browned meat to a crockpot. Add the carrots, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken stock, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to the crock pot and stir to combine.
- Cook. Place the lid on the crockpot and cook on high for 3 hours.
- Cook the noodles. Remove the lid, add the noodles to the crock pot, and stir well. Cover and cook on high for an additional 30 minutes or until the noodles are al dente.
- Serve. Serve warm in bowls. Top each bowl with a dollop of ricotta, a sprinkle of parmesan, a sprinkle of mozzarella, and a bit of chopped fresh parsley.
Notes
- For added flavor, cook the aromatics and brown the beef before adding to the crockpot.
- Use a large skillet to ensure the ground beef has space to cook. Brown in batches if needed.
- Use standard lasagna noodles and not oven-ready noodles. If you use oven-ready noodles, those will need less cooking time.
- Incorporate additional veggies like spinach, kale, broccoli florets, or zucchini slices. I usually add these at the same time as the noodles.
- Use different meats like chicken, turkey, or vegetarian alternatives like Impossible Meat.
- Substitute chicken stock with veggie stock.
- For a variation, replace lasagna noodles with penne or rigatoni.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
