CrockPot Lasagna Soup is the perfect weeknight dinner! In this easy recipe, the slow cooker does all of the work to bring the goodness of lasagna and the comfort of soup together into one amazing meal.
Topped with 3 cheeses and fresh herbs, this meal is like a hug in a bowl! Serve it with big hunks of crusty bread for dipping.
Pasta or Soup?
As much as I love a good Easy Lasagna recipe, some days are just soup days. Why not both in this family-pleasing, CrockPot Lasagna Soup recipe!
Lasagna Soup is meaty and hearty loaded with rich tomato flavor and all of the same fixings I add into my lasagna. Once cooked, this is topped with the ultimate combo of cheeses… mozzarella, fresh parmesan and ricotta. If you can, be sure to get fresh herbs to sprinkle on top (especially basil). It really makes it delicious!
Quick Prep Time
To Make Lasagna Soup: This takes 25 minutes to prepare and a lot of the prep can be done the night before. That means you can just pop this easy lasagna soup recipe in the slow cooker (I use a 6qt Crockpot for this recipe) before you leave for work. I brown the meat and onions, chop the veggies and have all of the canned goods lined up. In the morning, it just takes a few minutes to put into the slow cooker before you head out to start your day!
To Make Lasagna Soup on the Stove Top: Prepare beef/onions as directed. Add remaining ingredients and simmer on low 30-45 minutes. Stir in cooked pasta and spinach and simmer an additional 3-5 minutes to heat through. Serve as directed.
Toppings That Steal the Show
Of course this soup is nothing short of incredible, but I really think the toppings steal the show! There is something totally irresistible about melted cheese and herbs meeting your spoon first.
FLAVOR TIP
Speaking of cheese, this lasagna soup recipe calls for Parmesan rinds. If you’ve never bought parmesan rinds, they are exactly what they sound like…. rinds from a large wheel of parmesan cheese. Ask at the deli, you can often buy a container of them for just a couple of dollars.
I keep them in the freezer and toss one into sauces and soups to add flavor and richness. Next time you buy a piece of parmesan cheese and cut off the rind, just wrap it up and freeze it!
If you can’t find parmesan rinds, don’t worry, just add a sprinkle or two of fresh parmesan before serving.
More Italian Inspired Soups
- Italian Wedding Soup – Classic Italian Favorite!
- Pasta Fagioli Soup Recipe
- Meatball Soup – Made with homemade meatballs (or frozen)
- Minestrone Soup – Easy comfort food!
- Zuppa Toscana – Restaurant quality made easy at home!
Achieving the Perfect Pasta Texture
You might be wondering why I don’t just add the pasta into the soup and cook it along with the rest of the ingredients. This recipe was tested with various types (both brands and shapes) of pasta. I’ve found that I had the same problem as with Crock Pot Mac and Cheese and Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup, certain brands do not work well and can become very gummy in texture.
Cooking the pasta separately al dente (slightly firm) and giving it a few minutes to cook in the tomato broth produced the best lasagna soup. The noodles I used are called tripoline (you can find them at most Italian markets) however, you can use any shape of noodles you have on hand.
Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 large onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 32 ounces low sodium beef broth
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- 14.5 ounces canned petite diced tomatoes undrained, 1 can
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 1 small red bell pepper diced
- 1 small green bell pepper diced
- 2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 to 2 Parmesan rinds optional, see note
- 6 ounces rotini penne, or bowties
- 2 cups chopped fresh spinach
Optional Toppings*
- ricotta cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- fresh basil and parsley
Instructions
-
In a frying pan, brown the beef, onion, and garlic on medium-high until no pink remains; drain any fat. Add beef mixture to a 6QT slow cooker.
-
Add remaining ingredients, except for spinach and cooked pasta. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or LOW for 7-8 hours or until mushrooms and peppers are tender.
-
In a separate pot, cook the pasta al dente following the package directions.
-
Mix in the pasta and spinach. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes more. Ladle into individual bowls and add desired toppings.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner, Entree, Main Course, Pasta, Slow Cooker, Soup
Cuisine American, Italian
© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
More Soups We Love
- Cabbage Roll Soup
- Beef Stew Recipe
- Slow Cooker French Onion Soup
- Slow Cooker Corn Chowder
- Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
Adapted from Betty Crocker
I am wanting to make this weekend. My question is my son’s girlfriend is pretty picky so could i make this without spinach? Would it significantly change it
You can definitely leave out the spinach if you prefer, it will change the flavor slightly but will still be delicious.
This looks absolutely delicious and I can’t wait to make it. But my question is. In the list of ingredients. where it says to use parmesan rinds. it says to see note. But there isn’t any notes pertaining to this. What exactly is Parmesan Rinds and can a person substitute shredded parmesan instead? TIA.
Parmesan rinds are rinds from a large wheel of parmesan cheese.
If you ask at the deli, you can often buy a container of them for just a couple of dollars. Store them in the freezer and toss one into sauces and soups to add flavor and richness. Or, next time you buy a piece of parmesan cheese and cut off the rind, just wrap it up and freeze it. If you can’t find parmesan rinds, add a sprinkle or two of fresh parmesan before serving.
Could you use oven ready no bake lasagna noodles? I have extra and thought about just throwing them in the soup the last hour of cooking? Thought this may work better since they don’t boil real well. Thoughts?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure Laura. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
It worked out great! I cooked everything on low but for the last 30 minutes bumped it to high and broke up the oven ready noddles in the soup. I also added some red pepper chili flakes for some heat and about 3 tablespoons of sugar to enhance the tomato flavor. Will definitely make again!
I am so happy to hear it worked out Laura! Thank you for sharing your tips!
In your opinion, would Kale make an adequate substitution for Spinach?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure, but I think it should be fine. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!