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This crockpot lasagna soup recipe has all the delicious layers of a dish of lasagna, but without any of the assembly — your slow cooker does all the work for you, leaving you to enjoy a rich, traditionally seasoned tomato, ground beef and sausage soup loaded up with tender noodles and finished with a super creamy ricotta-based cream topping.
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why This Will Be Your New Go-to Slow Cooker Dinner
- This simple soup recipe has all the familiar flavors of a lasagna… but without any of the effort assembling layer after layer — the Crockpot does all the hard work for you once you’ve browned off the beef and Italian sausage! It is tomatoey, savory and wonderfully creamy, absolutely what I’d call comfort food!
- It’s a great family dinner for a busy weeknight as the assembly and browning the meat can be done in the morning before work, and all you have to do is add the noodles to finish in the soup for a final 30 minutes while you mix the deliciously creamy cheese topping. Adding the noodles at the end of cooking stops them becoming soft and gluey, one of my big no-nos for a lasagna soup!
- I love that this soup is a complete meal in a bowl — but I’m not saying you can’t add some garlic bread or a simple salad on the side. Especially good to know if you’re feeding hungry teens!
What I Learned Testing This Recipe
- Browning the meat first is essential. I know the dump-and-go method for the Crockpot can be so tempting and for some recipes it totally has it’s place, but when I tried it here I ended up with a flat, watery soup that was seriously missing out on the flavors that develop when you brown the meat and soften the onions before adding them to the slow cooker.
- Not all marinara sauces are created equal. If the brand you’re using is a little tart which will make your soup taste a little acidic, simply stir a little sugar, tasting as you go into the soup at the end which should balance things out nicely.
- Don’t add the noodles too soon. You just want them cooked through, if you leave them in the slow cooker too long they’ll become gluey and release too much starch into the soup impacting the taste of the broth too. Also, stir them once or twice during cooking to stop them sticking together. But, don’t be too agressive as this might also cause them to break apart!
Ingredients
Ground beef – Choose lean ground beef as extra fat content will end up in the soup, even though I’ve included draining excess fat as a step in the recipe. Or, you could sub in ground chicken or turkey for a lighter soup.
Bulk mild Italian sausage – Casings removed, using Italian sausage alongside the ground beef will help get that true lasagna taste! If you like a bit of heat you can try a spicier variety of Italian sausage.
Chopped onion and minced garlic – These make up the flavor base of the soup. Use fresh garlic if you can for the best flavor but pre-minced will work here.
Crushed red pepper flakes – Red pepper flakes, used sparingly will add warmth rather than heat to the lasagna soup. However, feel free to omit them if you’re sensitive to spice or cooking for small children, or up the quantity if you’re the opposite!
Dried oregano – Making sure your dried herbs are super fresh will make all the difference here, so be sure to check the expiry date and toss the jar if you open the top and you can barely smell anything!
Low-sodium chicken-broth – Chicken adds flavor without being overwhelming the way beef broth would be in this soup, but feel free to sub in vegetable if you’ve already got it open in the refrigerator. However, using a low-sodium variety is key as you’ll also be adding salt by way of the marinara sauce. Low-sodium broth makes it easier to control the seasoning!
Marinara sauce – It honestly doesn’t matter which brand you use, choose whatever tastes good to you! If you live outside the United States therefore marinara is not a common grocery store item, sub instead a variety of passata with added seasonings — usually the ones with pictures of basil and garlic on the jar or carton.
Lasagna noodles – Broken into pieces, because have you tried trying to balance an entire cooked lasagna noodle sheet on a spoon??
Ricotta – Make sure this is at room temperature both for the best flavor and creamy texture, and so the shredded mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano mix in smoothly.
Shredded mozzarella – You also want this to be at room temprature!
Parmigiano-Reggiano – Freshly grated cheese makes a real difference here and really is worth the extra two minutes. It helps keep the cheese topping nice and creamy with none of the anti-caking agents added to pre-grated cheese making it taste cloying.
Serving & Storage Suggestions
The cheese mixture can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in the fridge.
Leftover soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, and should be gently reheated on the stovetop rather than in the microwave. You might want to add a splash more water to allow for the amount of liquid absorbed by the noodles. If you’re planning for leftovers, add less noodles so you’re storing leftovers without them, and cook fresh to drop into the soup on the second night for best results. The same rule applies for freezing the soup, freeze the soup for up to 3 months without the noodles and add fresh later!
Just like a regular lasagna, bowls of this soup (while a complete meal by itself) are just calling out for garlic bread and salad on the side!
Frequently Asked Questions
A 6-quart Crockpot would be ideal for this recipe as it will allow plenty of room for adding the noodles and for them to cook evenly. A 4-quart would be too small to fit all the ingredients, but you could probably manage in a 5-quart one at a push, but I’d recommend breaking up the noodles a bit more to help them cook properly. Obviously a 7 or 8-quart would fit all the ingredients, but you may need to reduce the cooking time a little to allow for the extra surface area on the bottom.
Okay, so the soup will have less of a lasagna ‘vibe’ without lasagna noodles, but absolutely as it will still taste the same! You’ll need to add about 4 ounces of your chosen pasta shape.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Slow Cooked Lasagna Soup
Equipment
- skillet or large frying pan
- 6-quart slow cooker
Ingredients
For the soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 6 ounces bulk mild Italian sausage casings removed
- 1 cup onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth one can
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
- 8 lasagna noodles broken into pieces
For the cheese topping
- 15 ounces ricotta at room temperature
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella approx. 4 ounces, at room temperature
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over high heat. Add the ground sirloin and sausage and cook without stirring until liquid evaporates and meat begins to sizzle, then stir and brown completely, about 7 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook 3–4 minutes until onions are translucent. Alternatively, brown the meat and cook the vegetables directly in the insert if you have a sear-and-stew model of slow cooker.
- Drain off any excess fat before transferring the meat mixture to the Crockpot. Pour in the chicken broth and marinara and stir to combine.
- Cook on LOW 6–7 hours or on HIGH 3–4 hours.
- About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the broken lasagna noodles. Cook on HIGH until noodles are tender, this should take about 25–30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, stir together the ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmigiano-Reggiano in a small bowl until smooth.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and top each serving with a generous scoop of the cheese mixture.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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