Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup
This delicious, hearty Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup is perfect for chilly weather or anytime you want lasagna without layering noodles and firing up your oven.
Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup is my favorite way to transition from summer to fall.
It’s Summer-friendly because I can enjoy the flavors of lasagna without heating my oven (and, by default, my house). Sure, it’s always hot in September in Los Angeles, but I hear the Midwest has been heating up too! (Enjoy your sunshine, I’ll be jealous of your blustery fall days soon enough….)
It’s Fall-friendly because it’s soup in a slow cooker, and any crock of hot, delicious food is always welcome at my dinner table when it’s chilly outside.
And since the pre-slow-cooker action starts on your stovetop and several fresh ingredients are involved, it still feels enough like “cooking” to be fun.
Because around here, that’s what it’s all about. Delicious food and having fun while cooking.
Meat
I started with a pound of Italian sausage. I chose mild but you can use sweet or hot if you prefer. You could also substitute ground beef it that is how you prefer your lasagna. Or go halvesies! (Is that a word?)
Veggies
I sautéed the sausage with onions and carrots. Carrots, you’re wondering? That’s okay, my Dad asked about that too. I never shy away from adding vegetables as long as they uphold the level of deliciousness. Here, the carrots soften enough that they aren’t noticeable while contributing to the feeling that this is definitely A Soup. Stir in garlic until fragrant (my favorite step in any recipe where applicable).
Dump & Pour
While that is all happening in a skillet, load up your slow cooker with the canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, mushrooms (OPTIONAL), and a pile of spices. I LOVE these spices; they are straight from my favorite lasagna recipe. Stir in some water. Add the meat mixture. Cook slowly.
Pasta
Towards the end, stir in some noodles. I think radiatori pasta is adorable and apparently everyone else thinks so too, since I couldn’t find it ANYWHERE. I used rotini. I had it on hand because I’ve made this recently. Use what you have on hand if you can’t find your favorite small pasta shape.
Does anyone else even have a favorite small pasta shape? Maybe it’s just me. (Please comment below if you have a favorite pasta shape and what that is. Just curious.)
Cheese
The best part about this, and the part that really makes it feel like lasagna, is when you ladle up a huge bowl full and then SMOTHER it in cheese. We’re talking about lots of cheese here. Because it’s a lasagna which I think means MOSTLY CHEESE in Italian.
To my sister Monica and anyone else who hates ricotta cheese: You’re welcome.
And to anyone out there who shall remain nameless that gets freaked out by the gigantic lasagna noodles: You are also welcome.
Goodbye, Summer. Hello, Fall!
Save this Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup to your “Slow Cooker” Pinterest board!
And let’s be friends on Pinterest! I’m always pinning tasty recipes!
Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 1 large onion chopped (about 2 cups)
- 3 carrots peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 (14.5 ounce) cans Italian-style diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms optional
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cans water
- 1 cup rotini or other small pasta
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese for topping
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, combine sausage, onions, and carrots. Cook until the sausage has browned and the vegetables has softened, 5 to 7 minutes, breaking up any large pieces of sausage with a wooden spoon. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Meanwhile, add diced tomatoes and their juice, tomato sauce, mushrooms, Italian seasoning, basil, fennel, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper to the slow cooker. Stir in water and sausage mixture.
- Cover and heat on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours. During the last 10 minutes of cooking time, stir in the pasta, cover, and continue to cook until softened. Serve with mozzarella cheese on the side.
Recipe Notes
Adapted from Calico Capers "Go To" Cookbook.
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Related Recipes:
Slow Cooker Pasta and Bean Soup
Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup
Love your blog and all your recipes.
A new chain restaurant call “be good” has opened and my daughter is raving about the quinoa and kale bowls with ginger and almond. Do you have any recipes for this?
Thanks so much!
Hey there, thank you so much for your comment! I found a description online of this: “TOASTED ALMOND & GINGER
kale, sautéed veggies, bok choy, tamari almonds, red cabbage, enoki mushrooms, mint, toasted almond-ginger sauce” from a restaurant called B.Good. Sadly, I think it’s only in the New England and I’ve never eaten there! I could certainly make something using the ingredients they have listed, but without trying it myself I could never claim it was a “copycat.” So sorry about that! Thanks again for visiting my site!
Ok so yes havsies IS a word :) And I do NOT think you will be jealous when I am freezing my bum off in Chicago and you are basking in the LA sun :) This looks soo yummy! I am totally looking forward to making a vegan version of this!!! I love soups!!! LOVE!!!
Thanks, Mila! This would totally translate to vegan, so easily. And it would be SO good!!!!
Oh, Meggan …. great minds or what?! I just posted an easy lasagna recipe too!
This idea of yours is amazing. I love the flavours of lasagna but really can’t be bothered to go to the trouble of making it very often. Love this dump in the slow cooker and wait version so much more. And I’ve been looking for more slow cooker ideas, too … bonus!
Ha ha Helen, there is definitely no disputing that we are both great minds! Or at least you are! This was so much easier, plus no baking in the oven and it was 100 degrees here today so… yeah. Slow cookers are just as useful in the summer as the winter!
This so much better than faffing (a British word for messing) around with lasagna, that’s why I don’t make it. But being the soup nut that I am, I will be making this.
You are seriously THE soup nut. Why bother with layering noodles when you can just dump it all in a pot and be done with it?
Yum!!! What a splendid idea! This is going on my menu for next week. Thanks so much. I love your blog!
Wow, thank you Karen! I am so happy to hear that – ALL of it! :) Thanks again!
I’m all about slow cooker recipes this time of year! I’ve never had lasagna soup but it sounds like incredible comfort food! Pinned, of course.
I hope you are enjoying your new nest up in the Bay Area, Kathleen! I hear it’s chilly up there a lot, so hopefully you can find a time to make this one. Thanks for the pin, too! xoxo
This veers into genius territory.
Cakespy, you are too kind.
Making this tomorrow! This time I’ll actually read how many noodle to add and not put in the entire box :)
Miss you!
Hey buddy! Thank you so much for the comment. And sorry for never replying to you on Instagram. :) Are you guys going to be at G&Gs for Christmas Eve this year? We’d love to see you and will definitely be in town! Take care and hope to see you soon! Miss you too! XXO
Great dish! It was a big hit with the whole family (including our 10 month old)….they’ve already asked for it again next week. We’re not sure what Christmas will be like this year with Steph’s work schedule, but I’m trying hard to get us to Wisco for a white Christmas!
Thank you so much, Joey! Here’s hoping we get to see you guys at Christmas. In the meantime, thank you SO MUCH for your support and love of this blog. Most of the people I know in real life don’t pay it half as much attention as you do! <3 XXO
So, so perfect for this rainy weather we are FINALLY having. I need to hit up the store and get this in the cooker pronto! Thanks for this one…
Hi Kevin, thank YOU for stopping by! It’s always so refreshing when the weather cools down in SoCal and we can pretend we have a season other than summer…. ha!
Does the pasta cook in the soup or should it be precooked before adding?
Hi Carol, sorry this isn’t more clear. The pasta goes into the soup dry. Depending on your pasta choice, it will take around 10 – 15 minutes to cook through. Thanks for your question!
A huge batch of this is simmering on the stove as I type! So excited to try it!
The recipe calls for two cans of water… is that equivalent to two cups? I don’t know how much water to use lol.
Worst measurement ever: Cans. Sorry. I am going to be fixing all my recipes so they don’t EVER say cans again. That’s just awful. A can is about 14 or 15 ounces, so 2 cans is just shy of 4 cups. Call it 3 1/2 cups. Sorry about that.
Making it AGAIN for a cold/snowy/rainy night here in Atlanta. Perfect dish for everyone. A little southern twist serving it with corn bread….
Corn bread sounds PERFECT!!! Thanks so much for making the recipe and for telling me you did. Much love to you and the fam! xoxo
I made the Lasagna Soup twice for work and home, it was awesome, One of my favorites
Hooray Shineka! I am so happy to hear that! I love it too. I can’t wait to make it again.
Do you know how many servings this recipe holds? Thanks!
Is there a good substitute for fennel seeds you might recommend? I never buy them and I hate to just for one recipe…..thanks!
Hi Amanda! Just leave them out. I can’t say I use fennel seeds for much either, pretty much just this, my regular lasagna, and my meat sauce. They just boost the “sausage” flavor but the soup is still great without them! Thanks. If I can help with anything else, please let me know!
Can you use ground turkey in this recipe instead?
You sure can! Just do a 1-for-1 swap. Great idea, I love ground turkey too!
Made this soup for dinner last week on Thursday which is a busy day for me at work, it was delicious my boys loved it too. From now on it would be one of my slow cooker recipes to count on. Thank you for sharing it with all of us.
What size slow cooker did this go into?
I have a 6 1/2 quart slow cooker. However, there was a lot of room left at the top (not sure if you can see it in the overhead shot). I’d say a 5-quart slow cooker would work, possibly even smaller but I’m not sure.
What do you mean by Italian Seasoning? Are you talking Oregano since Basil, onion, salt, pepper and garlic are already on the ingredients list?
Hi Cece, there is actually a specific “Italian Seasoning” blend that you can buy at the store, it’s maybe $.99 at Walmart for example. Depending on the brand, it may contain basil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, sage, and rosemary. I apologize for the confusion and I’ll figure out what is in my own “Italian seasoning” so I can just list it out. But, having the blend on hand is convenient for things like this (but not earth-shattering in any way). It’s basically just dried herbs and does not usually contain salt, pepper, garlic, or onion. I hope that helps.
The lasagna soup is amazing! The only things I changed were that I used spicy red pepper diced tomatoes instead and then just added more Italian seasoning (gave it some heat), next time I think I’ll do one regular diced tomatoes and one spicy pepper, I had to cook the carrots a bit longer, and the pasta took 20 minutes to cook at the end. This was such a perfect soup for a cold winter day. :D
Thank you so much, Kristi! And great ideas. Well I shy away from spicy food because I know my mom would never eat it, but I would love to try it for myself and update the recipe. So glad you liked it though! I need to make this again, soon!
my fav pasta for mac and cheese is pipettes…its a happy marriage of macaroni and shells. i tried your recipe with cheese tortelini plus rotini….it was soooo lazagna good. i thought next time maybe ill try raviolis in it!
The Lasagna Soup was delicious, but I’m still trying to figure out why this is called Lasagna Soup. Nevertheless, it was very tasty.
Fair point. :) It’s basically the flavors of lasagna but in a soup form. I couldn’t find the small lasagna noodles at the time (radiatorre) and some of my pictures have no cheese. So basically the post just needs a little love and it will make more sense!