Lasagna Soup Recipe Slow Cooker
This Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup packs all the cozy flavors of classic lasagna—savory beef, rich tomato broth, Italian herbs, and a melty three-cheese topping—into an easy, mostly hands-off crockpot meal.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef about 90% lean; or use half ground beef, half Italian sausage
- 1 small yellow onion finely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced (about 1½ tablespoons)
- 1 bell pepper red or green, chopped (optional)
- 24 ounces marinara sauce one jar, use a brand you like
- 14.5 ounces canned crushed or diced tomatoes
- 6 cups low-sodium beef broth or chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional, to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more to taste; use 1 teaspoon if using table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 8-10 lasagna noodles broken into bite-size pieces (about 6–7 oz dry); or use another short pasta
- 1 bay leaf optional, remove before serving
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese for topping; low-moisture, part-skim
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese whole milk or part-skim
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese or pecorino
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil or parsley chopped, plus more for serving if desired
- salt and black pepper a pinch, for seasoning cheese mixture
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until mostly browned, 5–7 minutes. Add the chopped onion, minced garlic, and bell pepper. Cook 3–4 minutes more, until the vegetables soften and the garlic is fragrant. Spoon off excess fat if needed.
- Transfer the beef and vegetable mixture to a 4–6 quart slow cooker. Add the marinara sauce, crushed or diced tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth, Italian seasoning, dried basil, dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, kosher salt, black pepper, and bay leaf. Stir well, scraping the bottom so nothing sticks.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or on HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the flavors have melded and the broth is aromatic.
- About 30–40 minutes before serving, stir in the broken lasagna noodles, making sure they are mostly submerged in the liquid. Cover and cook on HIGH until the pasta is tender but not mushy, 20–30 minutes, checking for doneness starting at 20 minutes.
- While the pasta cooks, combine the ricotta, shredded mozzarella, grated Parmesan, chopped basil or parsley, and a pinch of salt and black pepper in a small bowl. Stir until well mixed and thick but scoopable.
- When the noodles are cooked, remove the bay leaf. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes as needed. If the soup is thicker than you like, stir in 1/2–1 cup of warm broth or water until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Ladle the lasagna soup into bowls. Top each serving with a generous spoonful of the cheese mixture so it softens and melts into the hot soup. Garnish with extra fresh herbs or Parmesan if desired, and serve with bread or a simple salad.
Notes
For a lighter version, use ground turkey and chicken broth, and part-skim cheeses. To freeze, cook the soup base without pasta, cool completely, and freeze up to 3 months; reheat and add dry pasta to cook just before serving. Leftovers keep 3–4 days in the refrigerator and may need a splash of broth when reheating.
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