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A close-up of a rustic bowl filled with creamy slow cooker lasagna soup, topped with a large dollop of ricotta cheese mixture and fresh basil.
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Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup

A rich and creamy soup that captures all the classic flavors of lasagna, made effortlessly in your slow cooker. Hearty, cheesy, and pure comfort in a bowl.
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
Keyword Lasagna Soup, Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 521kcal
Author C. Sophie

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound lean ground beef
  • 1/2 pound ground Italian sausage
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 yellow onion chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
  • 24 ounces high-quality marinara sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 7 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
  • 9 lasagna noodles broken into bite-sized pieces (Use regular, dry noodles, NOT oven-ready/no-boil for best results.)
  • 2 cups fresh spinach optional
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

For the Cheese Topping:

  • 10 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • Fresh basil for serving

Instructions

Brown the Meats:

  • In a large skillet or Dutch oven, cook the ground beef and Italian sausage over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through. Use a spoon to break up the meat as it cooks. Season with salt and pepper. Drain off any excess grease and transfer the meat to your slow cooker.

Sauté the Aromatics:

  • In the same skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for one more minute until fragrant.
  • Optional Step:

Deglaze for Depth:

  • For an authentic, deep Italian flavor, pour 1/2 cup dry red wine (such as Cabernet or Merlot) into the skillet, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Let it simmer until reduced by half before scraping the mixture into the slow cooker.

Combine in Slow Cooker:

  • Stir the tomato paste into the onion and garlic mixture and cook for 1 minute. Scrape the entire mixture into the slow cooker with the meat. Add the marinara sauce, red pepper flakes, parsley, oregano, basil, and chicken broth. Stir everything together until well combined.

Slow Cook:

  • Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

Prepare Cheese Topping:

  • While the soup cooks, combine the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Finish the Soup:

  • About 30 minutes before serving, stir the broken lasagna noodles and heavy cream into the slow cooker. Turn the heat to high, cover, and cook until the noodles are tender (al dente). If using, stir in the fresh spinach during the last 5 minutes of cooking, allowing it to wilt.

Serve:

  • Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Top each serving with a generous dollop of the three-cheese mixture and garnish with fresh basil.

Notes

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories
 
521kcal
 
Carbs
 
36g
 
Fat
 
28g
 
Protein
 
31g