Go Back

Crockpot Lasagna Soup

Crockpot lasagna soup with a rich tomato broth and Italian sausage, cooked until deeply flavorful in the slow cooker. Broken lasagna noodles cook in the last 30 minutes so they turn tender without getting mushy, topped with a creamy ricotta-mozzarella dollop.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 520

Ingredients
  

Italian sausage base
  • 1 lb Italian sausage Brown and drain fat before adding.
  • 1 onion Dice the onion.
  • 4 garlic Minced garlic cloves.
  • 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes Use canned crushed tomatoes.
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes Use canned diced tomatoes.
  • 3 cup beef or chicken broth Choose beef or chicken broth.
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste Stir in for body.
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 0.5 tsp oregano
  • 8 lasagna noodles Break into pieces; add in the last 30 minutes.
Cheese dollop
  • 1 cup ricotta
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 0.25 cup parmesan
  • 0.25 fresh basil Use for serving and mixing.
  • salt and pepper to taste Add at the end to season.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown sausage
  1. In a skillet, brown the Italian sausage until cooked through, then drain off excess fat. Add the browned sausage to the Crockpot.
Build the tomato broth
  1. Add the onion, garlic, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, dried basil, red pepper flakes, and oregano to the Crockpot. Stir to combine until the tomato paste disperses.
Slow-cook
  1. Cook on Low for 5-7 hours (or on High for 3-4 hours) until the soup is flavorful. Keep the lid on to maintain temperature.
Cook noodles at the end
  1. In the last 30 minutes, add the broken lasagna noodles to the Crockpot and increase to High if you cooked on Low. Cook until the noodles are tender, watching that the broth stays gently simmering.
Season and serve
  1. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Taste the broth before serving for balanced seasoning.
  2. Mix the cheese dollop ingredients: ricotta, shredded mozzarella, parmesan, and fresh basil. Serve each bowl with a generous spoonful of the ricotta-mozzarella mixture.

Notes

Pro tip: if your soup looks thick after adding noodles, stir and let it stand 5 minutes—the broth will loosen as the pasta hydrates. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stovetop or microwave until hot. Freezing is not recommended because lasagna noodles can soften further after thawing. For a lighter option, use chicken broth and turkey Italian sausage (still browned) and reduce added cheese to half for a lower-fat dollop.