Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup

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Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup is a delicious, convenient way to enjoy the flavors of lasagna without all the work. Start with just 10 minutes of prep, then set it and forget it in the slow cooker.

Two bowls of lasagna soup.


 

This easy lasagna soup recipe is a family favorite, and I mean extended family. My cousin, a high school teacher in Georgia, often has his students make this recipe, and I get to see the pictures! It’s great.

I love the recipe because it’s all the best flavors of lasagna but cooked in a slow cooker. It’s cheap, delicious, and easy to make, and that’s exactly what I want out of my cold-weather food these days!

Recipe ingredients

Labeled ingredients for slow cooker lasagna soup.

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

  • Italian sausage: Ground beef or ground turkey may be substituted for the Italian sausage. If you use lean meat, add olive oil to the pot before cooking it. In a pinch, you could also chop up Italian sausage links.
  • Mushrooms: Unless it’s a Stuffed Mushrooms recipe, I feel like mushrooms are always optional (people either love them or hate them). Don’t put them in if it will take away your joy. It’s as simple as that.
  • Italian herbs: To make your own homemade Italian seasoning, combine equal parts of dried basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. Store extra seasoning covered in the pantry for up to 6 months.
  • Lasagna noodles: Put those leftover lasagna noodles from your pantry to work in this Lasagna Soup (the regular lasagna noodles, not no-bake). Just break the dry noodles into bite-sized pieces. Or, substitute any other small pasta (radiatori and rotini are my favorites here).

Step-by-step instructions

  1. In a large pot or skillet over medium-high heat, combine sausage, onions, carrots, and garlic. Saute until the sausage has browned, breaking up clumps into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon and the vegetables have softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain if desired.
Browning Italian sausage in a saucepan.
  1. Meanwhile, to the slow cooker, add diced tomatoes and their juice, tomato sauce, mushrooms, Italian seasoning, basil, fennel, and salt and pepper to taste (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper). Stir in water and sausage mixture.
A crockpot full of lasagna soup.
  1. 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.
A crockpot full of lasagna soup.
  1. Serve in bowls with mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, or even a spoonful of ricotta cheese and fresh parsley or basil if desired.
Two bowls of lasagna soup.

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: This Crockpot Lasagna Soup recipe makes about 12 cups of soup, enough for 6 servings, 2 cups each.
  • Storage: Store lasagna soup covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Freezer: This is a great soup to freeze! For best results, omit the pasta before freezing. When it’s time to reheat the soup, boil the noodles separately and add them to the pot (or just stir them into the soup, but be mindful that they will soak up some of the liquid).
  • Classic lasagna: My absolute favorite lasagna recipe is Make-ahead Lasagna. The noodles go in dry (uncooked) and you let the whole thing sit for a few hours. In that time, the noodles soften. It’s fabulous, and I think you’ll love it.
  • Zucchini lasagna: Whether you’re cutting carbs or just trying to eat more veggies, Zucchini Lasagna is a delicious, hearty entree any time of year. Grilled ribbons of zucchini stand in for lasagna noodles, and with layers of ricotta and marinara-coated ground beef, you won’t even realize this is a low-carb casserole.
  • Vegetable lasagna: Filled with spinach, mushrooms, ricotta, and an easy homemade tomato sauce, even carnivores will devour this Vegetable Lasagna recipe.
  • Dessert lasagna: This easy no-bake Chocolate Lasagna recipe has an OREO cookie crust topped with sweetened cream cheese and chocolate pudding. Every bite is chocolatey, light, and absolutely fabulous.
  • Stove Top Lasagna Soup: Ready in 30 minutes, my stovetop lasagna soup comes together for a quick family dinner.
    • Bring 2 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt to boil. Add 8 ounces dry lasagna noodles (broken into pieces) and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain well and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking.
    • Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-high heat, add 1 pound ground Italian sausage, 1 large onion (chopped), 3 carrots (peeled and diced), and 4 cloves garlic (minced). Cook until the sausage has browned and the vegetables have softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain if desired.
    • Add 4 cups water, 28 ounces Italian-style diced tomatoes and their juice, 14 ounces tomato sauce, 8 ounces mushrooms (sliced), 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, and salt and pepper to taste (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper).
    • Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until flavors have blended, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in drained pasta until heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve with mozzarella cheese and fresh basil if desired.
Lasagna soup in a silver pot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make gluten-free lasagna soup?

It’s easy to make gluten-free lasagna soup. First, make sure your ground sausage is gluten-free. Then, substitute your favorite gluten-free noodles. I’ve really like the Barilla gluten-free noodles. They taste legit!

How do you garnish Lasagna Soup?

Shredded mozzarella cheese is a great topping for lasagna soup. I also love a dollop of ricotta, a sprinkle of Parmesan, and fresh herbs like basil and parsley.

Round out your Italian menu

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Bowls of lasagna soup.

Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup

An easy recipe for Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup. This hearty, delicious recipe is perfect for chilly weather or anytime you want lasagna without layering noodles and firing up your oven.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Servings 6 servings (2 cups each)
Course Soup
Cuisine American, Italian
Calories 446
4.86 from 62 votes

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • In a large skillet over medium-high heat, combine sausage, onions, carrots, and garlic. Cook until the sausage has browned and the vegetables have softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain if desired.
  • Meanwhile, to the slow cooker, add diced tomatoes and their juice, tomato sauce, mushrooms, Italian seasoning, basil, fennel, and salt and pepper to taste (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper). 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 and fresh herbs if desired.

Notes

  1. Italian sausage: Ground beef may be substituted for the Italian sausage. In a pinch, you could also chop up Italian sausage links.
  2. Mushrooms: Unless it’s a Stuffed Mushrooms recipe, I feel like mushrooms are always optional (people either love them or hate them). Don’t put them in if it will take away your joy. It’s as simple as that.
  3. Italian seasoning: To make your own homemade Italian seasoning, combine equal parts of dried basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. Store extra seasoning covered in the pantry for up to 6 months.
  4. Lasagna noodles: Put those leftover lasagna noodles from your pantry to work in this Lasagna Soup. Just break the dry noodles into bite-sized pieces. Or, substitute any other small pasta (radiatori and rotini are my favorites here).
  5. Yield: This Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup recipe makes about 12 cups of soup, enough for 6 servings, 2 cups each.
  6. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 2 cupsCalories: 446kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 22gFat: 32gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 813mgPotassium: 515mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 5356IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 234mgIron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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Comments

  1. I no have yet to make this recipe but have it on the top of my list to make as I’ve been browsing your website and everything looks phenomenal. Question about the no bake noodles, if I were to use them at what point would I put them in the soup? Those are the only lasagna noodles I have on hand, if you don’t recommend using them at all then I’ll grab some when I go to the store next.

    Thank you5 stars

    1. Hi Holly, thank you for your question. I prefer regular lasagna noodles, but I don’t see why the no-boil kind wouldn’t work. I would add them at step 4 after the soup has been in the slow cooker 4-8 hours, and cook until the noodles are softened. Take care! – Meggan

  2. I was craving the lasagna soup, but didn’t plan ahead. I made it in my Dutch oven. Pretty much followed the recipe, just covered it, brought it all to boil, then let it simmer for 30 minutes, next added the lasagna noodles, covered and cooked another 10-15 minutes. Delicious! Also used canned mushrooms, I did have any fresh, not too bad.

    1. Hi Erin, I’m so sorry and embarrassed. I think it is the 15-ounce cans, but I’m not sure, so I will test it and write back to you. I’m so sorry! I don’t want you to end up with watery soup. Thank you and I’ll update you. – Meggan

    2. Hi again, Erin! So sorry again about that. It’s 4 cups of water. Take care and thank you! – Meggan

  3. Just made this for dinner tonight and it’s delicious!!
    I didn’t have fennel seeds on hand so subbed in cumin and I’m very happy with how it turned out. My 6 & 3 year olds both gave it a big thumbs up!
    Thanks so much for sharing, will definitely be making this again soon!

  4. How could I make this recipe in an instant pot or stovetop? My friend recommended this recipe but I don’t own a crockpot. Thank you!

    1. Hi Kelly, this absolutely can be made on the stovetop! Simmer in a large dutch oven on the stovetop instead of adding to the slow cooker. I hope you love this! – Meggan

  5. Made this for my mother-in-law a couple years ago…she calls me every few months to send her the recipe again. Very easy and delicious!!5 stars

  6. This is one of my families favorite recipes. I’ve made it countless times and came back to thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!! I’ve made it both with and without mushrooms depending who I’m feeding and it’s delicious both ways!!5 stars

  7. #1 – 1 can of tomato sauce is 8oz – NOT 15oz. (especially at whole foods). I had to run to the store in the middle of making this recipe – you need to edit that.

    #2 – your search doesn’t work

    1. Hi Jane, I agree my search is terrible. I’m working on a redesign and that’s a top priority. I’m so sorry about that. I have a lot of ingredients tagged so I personally use the recipe index and look at the ingredients there. But I agree. Regarding tomato sauce – It comes in 8 ounce and 15 ounce cans. I can change the recipe and I wasn’t trying to mislead you, but my cupboard is full of 15-ounce cans of tomato sauce. I buy it Ralphs, Sprouts, and Walmart. I do shop at Whole Foods but I don’t buy canned goods there, so I can’t say. But I will for sure edit the recipe. Sorry about that!

    2. Jane,
      You can find 15oz cans of tomato sauce at Walmart.
      Also, there is an ingredient list at the beginning of the recipe.
      Personally, I find your reply to this post a bit cold, as the recipe is delicious and worth any “inconvenience” of the site formatting.5 stars

    1. Your wish is my command! It’s on deck for Tuesday. Luckily it was already re-photographed. :) I MISS YOU TOO! You’re the sweetest. XO

  8. I had a lasagna soup recipe years ago that I lost, so when I saw this I was so happy, One thing I remember from my old recipe was that you put a big dollop of ricotta cheese in the bottom of the bowl before ladling the soup in. It was out of this world. Can’t wait to try yours, with the ricotta cheese ;)5 stars

  9. The Lasagna Soup was delicious, but I’m still trying to figure out why this is called Lasagna Soup. Nevertheless, it was very tasty.5 stars

    1. 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!

  10. 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!5 stars

  11. 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. :D5 stars

    1. 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!

  12. What do you mean by Italian Seasoning? Are you talking Oregano since Basil, onion, salt, pepper and garlic are already on the ingredients list?5 stars

    1. 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.

    1. 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.

  13. 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.5 stars

  14. Is there a good substitute for fennel seeds you might recommend? I never buy them and I hate to just for one recipe…..thanks!5 stars

    1. 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!

    2. Amanda, I buy fennel seed in the bulk section. Grab a tiny bag and just buy several teaspoons.

    1. Hooray Shineka! I am so happy to hear that! I love it too. I can’t wait to make it again.

  15. 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….5 stars

    1. 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

  16. The recipe calls for two cans of water… is that equivalent to two cups? I don’t know how much water to use lol.5 stars

    1. 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.

    1. 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!

  17. 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…5 stars

    1. 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! 

  18. 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!5 stars

    1. 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

  19. Making this tomorrow! This time I’ll actually read how many noodle to add and not put in the entire box :)

    Miss you!5 stars

    1. 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

  20. 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.5 stars

    1. 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

  21. 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.5 stars

    1. 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? 

  22. 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!5 stars

    1. 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! 

  23. 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!!!

  24. 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!

    1. 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!