Easy Crockpot Lasagna Soup offers a spoonful of cozy comfort in every bite. The traditional Italian flavors you know and love- tender noodles swimming in rich tomato sauce, juicy beef, gooey cheese- alchemized into a pot of yummy soup. It’s the ultimate weeknight dinner hack.
Lasagna on your busiest weeknight? Impossible, you say? Crockpot Lasagna Soup makes it as easy as can be.
If I had to name one plus side of cold temperatures, it’s the inspiration to cook warm comfort food. Let’s face it, when the temperature dips below forty degrees a salad just isn’t cutting it. Soup is one of my favorite magic elixirs to take the winter chill off and gather people around our table to break bread. Seasonal favorites include Sausage and Chicken Gumbo, Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup, and French Onion Soup.
Easy Crockpot Lasagna Soup has all of the flavors of traditional lasagna and eats like a rich tomato soup. One could say it’s got a touch of im-pasta syndrome. Reasons you’ll love this recipe:
- All of the comfort and flavor of lasagna, half the workload.
- Simple, straightforward ingredients & instructions.
- Fix it & forget it! Crockpot dinners are sanity savers for families on-the-go.
- Travels and reheats well. Ideal for potlucks, parties, and weekly meal options.
- Wins over self-proclaimed soup snobs. Everyone is a pushover for pasta.
Did I mention the taste? Rich tomato sauce, juicy beef, aromatic herbs, and a gooey cheese topping make this dish irresistible! This easy dinner truly packs a flavorful lasagna-so much so that we have had it three times this month!
Ingredient Notes
Lasagna Noodles: Can’t have lasagna soup without lasagna noodles of course. However, you can use other types of pasta such as tripoline, farfalle, or rigatoni. I would recommend a thicker pasta as those are more forgiving in slow cooker soups.
Ground Beef: You can also use ground turkey or even ground sausage.
Beef Broth: Whatever store bought broth you like is good. I wouldn’t use beef stock a it doesn’t have as much beefy flavor.
Tomato Sauce: I use whole tomatoes (broken up with a spoon) because they have the most flavor. I also add in 1 can of diced tomatoes
Herbs and Spice: A robust mix of Garlic, Oregano, Basil, Thyme. Since the tomatoes and meat don’t have spices, I put a very flavorful amount in the recipe.
Vegetables: You need about 5 cups of vegetables, plus I added 2 cups of fresh spinach. I use a combination of red and green pepper, mushrooms, and onions but you could add any combination you like such as zucchini or eggplant.
Topping Ideas (not pictured):
- Ricotta Cheese
- Fresh Basil or Parsley
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Shredded Parmesan Cheese
How to Make this Crockpot Lasagna Soup Recipe
The full instructions are at the bottom, as usual, in the recipe card but this area gives a visual representation of the recipe as it flows, and gives alternate cooking methods.
To Make Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup: This less than 30 minutes to prepare and most all of the prep can be done the night before. That means you can just dump everything in the slow cooker in the morning. The night before, I brown the meat and onions (photo 1) separately, chop the veggies and have all of the canned goods lined up. In the morning, toss everything except the spinach and noodles into the slow cooker for 6-8 hours on low! (photo 2)
To Make Lasagna Soup on the Stove Top: Prepare the beef and onions as directed. Add remaining ingredients and simmer on low 30-45 minutes. Break up and stir in pasta and simmer an additional 5-8 minutes until the desired texture. Wilt spinach and serve with desired toppings.
Achieving the Perfect Pasta Texture
We try to make this as easy as possible because I make recipes for busy families like my own. That’s why the recipe is written with noodles thrown directly into the slow cooker and softened that way.
That being said, I understand that different brands and types of noodles will behave differently. Not to mention that people have wildly different preferences for the “doneness” of noodles. I generally use Barilla or Great value here in the United States and have no problem whatsoever.
Cooking the pasta separately until your desired preference and giving it a few minutes to soak in the tomato broth will consistently produce the best noodle texture. But it’s up to you if that is really necessary or you can play with the times for your brand of pasta.
More Comforting Soup Recipes
Tips and Notes
- Break up and submerge the noodles. I try to break them in large pieces. You don’t want the noodles to go to the bottom because they can burn.
- If preferred, store the noodles separately for leftovers. This is your preference, but the noodles will continue to soak up the broth while being stored and may get a little soggy.
- If you have a locking lid, do not lock it while cooking. This handy feature is only for traveling. Locking the latches during cooking may build pressure and possibly cause the lid to break. Source: Southern Living
- Do not use oven-ready noodles. I tested this and found that, firstly, I don’t like the texture, and secondly, they soak up much more water. Of note though is that even in real lasagna, I have never felt the need to pre-cook noodles. Maybe there is something wrong with me, haha.
Frequently Asked Questions
I would generally recommend that you don’t store the noodles in soup if you are choosy about texture (I am). The noodles will continue to soak up the broth overnight and become gummy over time. It also won’t be soup so much as mushy.
This wonderfully hearty soup is a meal in itself and chocked full of delicious veggies. If you would like, serve it with some garlic bread or add a simple Caesar or garden salad to feed a large hungry group.
I use dried, but you can use no boil. However, they tend to soak up more water and may get soggy if left overnight in the broth.
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PS. If you make this recipe, leave a COMMENT AND A STAR RATING in the comments section at the bottom and be sure to take a photo and tag it #cravingcreative on Instagram! I appreciate you for taking the time to read about me and my family recipes.
Crockpot Lasagna Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef or ground sausage
- 1 large onion diced about 1 cup
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes undrained
- 14 ½ ounces petite diced tomatoes
- 32 ounces low sodium beef broth add 1 more cup if cooking noodles in the crockpot
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 2 cups mushrooms sliced
- 2 teaspoons dried basil leaves can use italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 10 ounces lasagna noodles
- 2 cups chopped fresh spinach stems removed
Toppings
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Ricotta Cheese
- Parmesan Cheese
- Fresh Basil & Parsley
Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan over medium-high heat (skip oil if using non-stick) Cook 1 pound lean ground beef, 1 large onion diced, and 3 cloves garlic minced until crumbled and no pink remains; drain. About 8-10 minutes. Place in slow cooker.
- Add all remaining soup ingredients except noodles & spinach. Combine: 28 ounces crushed tomatoes, 14 ½ ounces petite diced tomatoes, 32 ounces low sodium beef broth, 1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper, 2 cups mushrooms, 2 teaspoons dried basil leaves, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, 2 teaspoon Dried Oregano, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours or high 3-4 hours.
- Either break up 10 ounces lasagna noodles and add to the crockpot for the last 30-35 minutes or cook pasta al dente separately according to package directions. Stir in cooked pasta and 2 cups chopped fresh spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Spoon into bowls and top as desired.
Terry says
So delicious and easy to make.
Lisa says
Tunred out fabulous! I layered lasagna noodles and layed the beef on top and then the tomatoes and cheese.
Lily says
Very good, the noodles aren’t soggy either!
Kellie says
This is my go-to now. Third time making it.
Jill says
It was good! Easier than lasagna for sure.
Amanda says
I used mild and just left out the spinach and it was delicious