Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup

This comforting Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup tastes just like classic Italian lasagna but requires much less effort to prepare. It’s beefy, tomatoey, packed full noodles, and served topped with a generous amount of gooey cheese. Best of all, there’s only 15 minutes of active prep time with the slow cooker doing the rest of the work!

It’s a proven fact. Slow cookers, and slow cooking in general, reduce stress. There is nothing more satisfying than a slow cooker meal bubbling away all afternoon, filling the house with delicious aromas while you go about your business. Even something as simple as taco night is easier when you use a slow cooker!

Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup

I’m a true believer in creating a list for everything. Need housework done? Create a to do list. Packing for a trip? Start a pack list! This easy crockpot lasagna soup recipe lands squarely on the ‘days I’m too busy to cook but need a hearty family dinner’ recipes list.

When you’re looking for one pot meals slow cooker is the way to go! It’s everything you love about lasagna in soup form: lean ground beef, ground Italian sausage, marinara sauce, cheese, lasagna noodles, cheese. Did I mention cheese?

That’s right. You can have all the amazing parts of lasagna WITHOUT having to make and layer Bolognese sauce and noodles in a baking dish then cover it with Bechamel sauce and cheese.

PLUS, after you turn that slow cooker on, you can forget about dinner for the next 6-9 hours. Fair warning… once it starts to smell delicious, the aroma will become difficult to ignore. You may just find yourself turning up the slow cooker temperature just so you can eat dinner sooner!

I love making this easy lasagna soup with broken lasagna noodles or shorter bite sized malfada noodles. However, feel free to use any pasta shape you have on hand, including gluten free noodles.

This recipe contains ground beef and Italian sausage, but you can use one or the other if you prefer. Feel free to substitute ground chicken in place of the lean ground beef. 

The swirl of ricotta cheese in the soup plus the grated mozzarella, shaved Parmesan cheese, and even more ricotta on top elevate the comfort and flavour to another level. Serve crock pot lasagna soup with a salad and a bit of crusty bread for dipping. 

Ingredients in Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup

If you’ve made lasagna, you already know what goes into this Slow Cooker Lasagna recipe. Of course, you can always tweak it to reflect your personal tastes.

• Ground Beef
• Italian Sausage Meat
• Onion
• Garlic
• Green Bell Pepper
• Celery
• Beef Broth
• Tomato Sauce
• Diced Tomatoes
• Italian Seasoning
• Garlic Powder
• Lasagna Noodles
• Red Wine Vinegar
• Ricotta Cheese
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Parmesan Cheese

Choose lean ground beef and mild or hot Italian sausage meat. If you can’t find loose sausage meat, simply remove it from the casings.

A simple tomato sauce or passata will work well in this recipe along with the diced tomatoes. Feel free to use any short pasta you have on hand.

Choose creamy, not grainy ricotta cheese, or swirl a bit of mascarpone cheese in the soup before serving instead.

For an easy Italian seasoning mix, combine 1 Tablespoon dried Basil, 1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano, 1/2 Tablespoon dried Rosemary with a pinch each of Thyme and Marjoram.

Add red pepper flakes, Hot Italian sausage, or even a splash of hot sauce for an extra kick. I sometimes add a can of chilies and tomatoes along with the diced tomatoes.

How to Make Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup

Every great meaty crock pot recipe starts with cooking the meat separately. Yes, it adds another step (and more dishes) but pre-cooking the meat develops the flavour and reduces the fat content within the final dish.

To start, cook one pound lean ground beef and one pound ground sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no pink remains. Drain the fat/fluid and add browned meat to the slow cooker.

Place all other ingredients (except the noodles and cheese). Stir, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours (or high for 4 hours).

About 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the broken lasagna noodles and cook on high for another 30-40 minutes.

Lastly, stir in 1 cup of ricotta cheese and the red wine vinegar. Serve with extra ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan sprinkled on top of each bowl. If you have fresh basil, tear and toss leaves for extra basil flavour.

What to Serve with Lasagna Soup

This lasagna soup is very filling on its own but I like to serve it with crusty bread for dipping and a simple chopped garden salad.

Leftovers and Storage

Allow leftover lasagna soup to cool to room temperature then place in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a microwave in an oven safe bowl or in a saucepan on the stove over low heat, stirring often.

Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup freezes well for up to 3 months in a freezer safe container. Thaw overnight in the fridge then reheat as instructed.

Hi! I’m Bernice Hill, the heart and soul behind Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen. It is my pleasure to share easy to follow recipes that are delicious, nutritious, and approachable for the whole family.

If you make this Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup recipe, I’d love to hear about it in the comments section or in a recipe rating. Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest for my latest recipes. Also, if you do make this recipe, please share your photos and tag me on Instagram. I hope you like this recipe!