Good morning, my dear friends, from a beautiful, lazy Sunday here in Khenifra! The air is cool, and it’s the perfect kind of day for the ultimate comfort food hack: my Crockpot Lasagna Soup. Imagine all the rich, savory, and cheesy flavors of a classic baked lasagna, but deconstructed into a simple, slurpable soup that your slow cooker makes for you! This recipe is the perfect balance of a deeply satisfying, family-favorite meal with the incredible ease of a “set it and forget it” dinner. It’s one of my all-time favorite easy crockpot dinners!
Serving Versatility
This glorious lasagna soup crockpot style is a complete one-bowl wonder! It’s designed to be served hot and fresh, loaded with a creamy ricotta topping and with a side of crusty garlic bread for dipping. It truly shines all on its own.
Full Recipe: My Healthy Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 4-6 hours on low
- Total time: 4 hours 15 minutes
- Servings: 8
- Calories: Approximately 400 calories per serving
Ingredients
For the Soup:
- 1 lb lean ground turkey or chicken
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 8-10 lasagna noodles, broken into pieces
For the Ricotta Topping:
- 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or basil
- Shredded mozzarella cheese, for serving
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground turkey and chopped onion until the meat is browned and the onion is soft. Add the minced garlic and cook for one more minute until fragrant. Drain any excess fat.
- Transfer the meat mixture to the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or on HIGH for 2-3 hours. This is the heart of all good lasagna soup crockpot recipes!
- About 30 minutes before serving, cook the broken lasagna noodles in a separate pot of salted, boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Drain well.
- While the noodles cook, prepare the ricotta topping by mixing the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, and fresh parsley in a small bowl.
- To serve, place a scoop of the cooked noodles in the bottom of each bowl. Ladle the hot soup over the noodles. Top with a generous dollop of the ricotta mixture and a sprinkle of shredded mozzarella.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick preparation: Just 15 minutes of active prep, and your slow cooker does the rest of the work.
- Budget-friendly ingredients: It uses simple pantry staples to create a meal that tastes incredibly rich and satisfying.
- Big, cozy flavor: It has all the comforting, savory, and cheesy flavors you love in a classic lasagna. It’s the best of soups recipes lasagna!
- Nutritional value: This lasagna soup recipe crockpot healthy version is packed with lean protein and can easily be loaded with extra veggies.
- Customizability: Make it vegetarian by swapping the meat for mushrooms and lentils, or add a handful of spinach at the end for extra greens.
Cultural or Cooking Technique Note
This Crockpot Viral Lasagna Soup is a brilliant example of a “deconstructed” classic, made even easier with a slow cooker. The slow cooker is the perfect tool for this recipe, as it allows the tomato, meat, and herb flavors to meld together over several hours, creating a rich, sauce-like broth that tastes like it has been simmering on the stove all day. It captures the essence of a traditional lasagna sauce with virtually no effort, transforming a labor-intensive dish into an accessible weeknight meal.
Serving Suggestions
- The Ultimate Bowl: Serve hot with a big, creamy dollop of the ricotta-parmesan topping, a sprinkle of fresh basil, and some extra mozzarella that gets all melty and delicious.
- With Garlic Bread: This soup is absolutely perfect with a side of warm, crusty garlic bread for dipping into the rich, tomatoey broth.
- With a Simple Salad: Pair with a crisp Caesar salad or a simple green salad for a complete, restaurant-style meal right at home.
- Extra Cheesy: For true cheese lovers, stir a cup of shredded mozzarella directly into the slow cooker at the end until it melts.
Pro Tips for Success
- Don’t Skip the Browning Step: Taking the time to brown the meat and onions before they go into the slow cooker builds a deep, savory layer of flavor that you just can’t get otherwise.
- Cook Noodles Separately: This is my number one tip! Cooking the noodles separately and adding them to each bowl when serving prevents them from getting mushy and soaking up all that delicious broth, especially in leftovers.
- Use Good Quality Tomatoes: The base of your soup is the crushed tomatoes, so using a good quality brand (like San Marzano, if you can find them) will make a noticeable difference in the final taste.
- Prep the Topping: Don’t just scoop plain ricotta on top. Mixing it with Parmesan and fresh herbs ahead of time creates a flavorful, creamy topping that truly mimics the lasagna experience.
Storage & Reheating
Store the leftover soup base in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Store any leftover cooked noodles separately. To reheat, warm the soup on the stovetop or in the microwave. Add the noodles to the hot soup just before serving. The soup base also freezes beautifully for up to 3 months!
Closing Paragraph
I am so incredibly excited for you to try this game-changing Crockpot Lasagna Soup! It has all the soul-warming comfort of a classic lasagna without any of the fuss, making it one of the absolute best crockpot soup recipes for a cozy day. Please give it a try, and I would love for you to come back and leave a rating and a comment to let me know how much your family loved it!
🎀 Final Thoughts
This soup is pure magic to me. It’s our family’s favorite way to enjoy lasagna, especially on a lazy Sunday. The house smells incredible all day, and the result is this wonderfully comforting and delicious meal that feels so special. It’s a hug in a bowl, and I hope you love every spoonful.