Hearty Crock Pot Lasagna Soup: Weeknight Comfort (Print Version)

Whip up hearty Crock Pot Lasagna Soup! Layers of flavor, easy prep, and pure comfort in every bowl. Perfect for busy weeknights.

# Recipe Info:

Prep Time: 15 Minutes minutes
Cook Time: 4 Hours minutes
Total Time: 19 minutes
Servings: 6-8 Servings
Difficulty: Beginner
Cuisine: Italian-American
Dietary: Contains Dairy, Gluten, Meat (adaptable)

# Ingredients:

→ Soup Base Essentials

01 - 1 lb ground beef or Italian sausage
02 - 1 large onion, chopped
03 - 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
05 - 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
06 - 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

→ Flavor Builders

07 - 2 tsp Italian seasoning
08 - 1 tsp dried oregano
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
10 - Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

→ Cheesy Layers & Pasta

11 - 6-8 lasagna noodles, broken into 1-2 inch pieces
12 - 15 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
13 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
14 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

→ Finishing Touches

15 - 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

# Instructions:

01 - First things first, grab your biggest skillet and brown that ground meat over medium-high heat. Break it up with a spoon as it cooks. Once it’s nicely browned, drain off any excess grease – that’s important for not having a greasy soup. Then, toss in your chopped onion and let it soften, stirring occasionally, until it’s translucent and smells sweet, about 5-7 minutes. Finally, stir in the minced garlic for just a minute until it's fragrant; you don't want it to burn, or it'll taste bitter, a mistake I've made more times than I care to admit. The smell at this stage? Divine, honestly, it gets me every time.
02 - Now, transfer that beautiful meat and onion mixture to your crock pot. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, stir in the tomato paste, and add the chicken or vegetable broth. Sprinkle in the Italian seasoning, dried oregano, a good pinch of salt, and some black pepper. Give it all a really good stir to combine everything. This is where all those flavors start to meld together, and honestly, it’s pretty hard to mess this up. Just make sure everything is well incorporated. I usually sneak a tiny taste here, just to check the salt, you know?
03 - Put the lid on your crock pot and set it to low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Let it simmer and do its thing. Go live your life! Run errands, tackle that laundry mountain, or just relax. The aroma that fills your kitchen while this cooks is just incredible, a real testament to how amazing slow cooking is. You want the flavors to deepen and become really rich. Don't peek too often, let that magic happen!
04 - About 30-45 minutes before you’re ready to serve, stir in those broken lasagna noodles. Make sure they’re fully submerged in the liquid so they cook evenly. You want them tender, but not mushy – nobody likes mushy pasta, honestly. I usually set a timer for this part because I’ve definitely overcooked them before while trying to multitask. Keep an eye on them, they cook faster than you think in that hot soup.
05 - In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta cheese with a little salt and pepper. Now, for the fun part! Once the noodles are tender, you can either stir dollops of the ricotta directly into the soup for a creamy swirl, or you can ladle the soup into bowls and then add a spoonful of ricotta on top of each serving. I often do a bit of both, stirring some in and leaving some for a beautiful dollop on top. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure situation, really.
06 - Finally, sprinkle generous amounts of shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese over the top of the soup, either in the crock pot for a melty, gooey layer or directly into individual bowls. Put the lid back on for a few minutes if you're melting it in the pot, just until the cheese is bubbly and melted. Garnish with fresh basil leaves. The sight of that melted cheese and vibrant green basil on top of the rich red soup? Chef's kiss! It smells heavenly and tastes even better. Get ready for some serious comfort.

# Notes:

01 - Don't skip browning the meat! It adds so much depth, honestly, it's worth the extra few minutes.
02 - Leftovers keep beautifully in the fridge for up to 3 days. It actually tastes better the next day, I swear.
03 - Tried using cottage cheese once instead of ricotta, and it was... okay. Ricotta is just creamier, you know?
04 - A drizzle of good quality olive oil right before serving? Chef's kiss. It really elevates the whole bowl.

# Tools You'll Need:

01 - Large skillet
02 - Crock Pot (slow cooker)
03 - mixing bowls

# Nutrition Facts (Per Serving):

Calories: 450-550 kcal
Total Fat: 25-35g
Total Carbohydrate: 35-45g
Protein: 30-40g

Back