Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup (Crockpot, No Pre-Cooking Noodles)

What Makes This Recipe Work

Cooking the sausage and tomato base low and slow lets lasagna flavors develop without any watching, and adding the dry noodles only in the last 30 minutes keeps them al dente. The cheese mixture goes on top at serving so it stays creamy instead of dissolving into the broth.

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup (Crockpot, No Pre

• 1 lb (450 g) sweet or mild Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (24 oz / 680 g) jar marinara sauce
• 1 (14.5 oz / 411 g) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 3 cups (720 ml) beef broth
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
• 8 oz (225 g) lasagna noodles, broken into 1- to 2-inch pieces
• 1 cup (250 g) whole-milk ricotta
• 1/2 cup (50 g) grated parmesan, plus more for serving
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil or parsley, plus more for serving

How to Make Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup (Crockpot, No Pre

1. Cook the sausage and onion in a skillet over medium-high heat, breaking the sausage into crumbles, until browned and cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds, then transfer the mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Stir in the marinara, diced tomatoes with their juices, beef broth, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
3. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours, until the flavors taste melded and the broth is rich red.
4. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, stir in the broken lasagna noodles, pressing them under the liquid so they cook evenly.
5. While the noodles finish, stir together the ricotta, parmesan, and half the basil in a small bowl.
6. Once the noodles are tender but still slightly firm, turn the slow cooker to warm. Let the soup rest for 5 minutes so it thickens a little.
7. Ladle the soup into bowls and add a spoonful of the ricotta mixture to each, then top with extra parmesan, basil, and black pepper.

Tips for the Best Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup (Crockpot, No Pre

• Break the noodles by hand over the pot so the small shards flavor the broth as they cook.
• Press the noodles below the surface; exposed pieces stay crunchy even after 30 minutes.
• This crock pot lasagna soup keeps absorbing broth as it sits, so if you are not serving right away, hold the noodles back and stir them in when you reheat.
• Whole-milk ricotta dollops better than part-skim, which can turn watery in the hot soup.

Variations and Substitutions

• For a stovetop version with the same flavors, make the Lasagna Soup recipe and finish it in about 40 minutes.
• Swap the sausage for ground beef or turkey; brown it the same way and add 1 extra teaspoon of Italian seasoning.
• For a white-style pot, replace the marinara with 2 cups of chicken broth and 1 cup of heavy cream and stir in 2 cups of chopped spinach with the noodles.
• Similar Italian bowls in this collection include Zuppa Toscana, Minestrone Soup, and Italian Wedding Soup.

How to Store and Reheat

• Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days; store extra ricotta mixture separately and add it fresh to each bowl.
• Freeze the soup base without the noodles or ricotta for up to 3 months; thaw, reheat, cook fresh noodles in the simmering broth, and dollop with ricotta.

Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup (Crockpot, No Pre FAQ