This easy and Healthy Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup is my favorite kind of crock pot dump recipe. There is no precooking -just dump all the ingredients in the recipe, set it, and forget it! Using frozen and pantry ingredients, it's an economical and delicious soup with all the flavors of lasagna.
Lasagna soup is popular any time of the year, but it's the perfect comfort food during cooler weather. It's also ideal for busy days when you want to come home to a delicious meal. This Lasagna Soup with cottage cheese was inspired by my Make-Ahead Lasagna, and pairs well with crusty garlic bread or Bread Machine Italian Breadsticks. It's also Weight Watchers friendly (see ww points below).
🍒Reader Review
"My slow cooker wasn't big enough for this, so I made it in my dutch oven pot on the stove top. It was delicious, and I gave a good helping to my neighbors who are senior citizens and they really enjoyed as well.!!" ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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- 🍒Reader Review
- Recipe Overview: Healthy Lasagna Soup
- Summarize and Save this Content on:
- Why you'll love this recipe
- 🥘Ingredient Notes
- 📖Variations & Substitutions
- 🔪Step-by-Step: How to Make Crockpot Lasagna Soup (with cottage cheese)
- Expert Recipe Tips
- 🥗 What to serve with Healthy Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup
- 🌡️Storage
- 👪 Serving Size
- 🔢WW Points
- Top tips
- ❔Recipe FAQ's
- Didn't find the answer you're looking for?
- 🥣More Slow Cooker Stew & Soup Recipes
- 📋Healthy Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup Recipe
Recipe Overview: Healthy Lasagna Soup
- Ready In: 4 hours 30 mins (on high) or 8 hours 30 mins (on low).
- Serves: 16 servings.
- Calories: 191 kcal per 1.5 cup serving
- Main Ingredients: Extra lean ground beef, lasagna noodles, canned tomatoes, frozen spinach, and dry curd cottage cheese.
- Dietary info: Weight Watchers Friendly, High Protein, Low Fat.
- Weight Watchers points: 4 WW points (per 1.5 cup serving).
- Difficulty: Easy.
- Why You'll Love It: This spectacular "dump and go" recipe gives you all the rich, cheesy flavors of a traditional lasagna with zero pre-cooking and minimal cleanup!
Summarize and Save this Content on:
Why you'll love this recipe
- Healthy and light. Not only is this soup healthy, but it's also Weight Watchers-friendly.
- Dump and go. There is no pre-cooking required - you don't even have to pre-cook the ground beef!
- Freezes well. You can even freeze it in a meal mug, bring it along to work, and heat it up in the microwave in the same mug!
- Quick and Easy. Since this soup requires no pre-cooking or special cooking techniques, it's really fast and easy to make.
🥘Ingredient Notes
You will need the following ingredients for this creamy lasagna soup.
- Extra lean ground beef. If you use regular ground beef or just lean ground beef, your soup will be extremely greasy! * do not precook
- Canned mushrooms (with water- do not drain). Canned mushrooms are an economical pantry item you're more likely to have on hand.
- Canned diced tomatoes (with tomato juice). Do not drain. Again, canned tomatoes are an economical pantry item you're likely to have on hand.
- Red pepper flakes. Makes it a little spicy/gives it a little bite!
- Frozen spinach. I use frozen spinach because it's economical and I always have it on hand.
- Dry curd cottage cheese (also known as Farmer's cheese). Dry cottage cheese is ideal for this recipe because unlike regular cottage cheese, dry cottage cheese does not contain milk. When milk is overheated or has an acid (like tomatoes) added to it, it can curdle. When milk curdles, it separates into curds and whey. The whey, or liquid, is separated from the curds, or the solids.
- Oven-ready lasagna noodles. Oven-ready lasagna noodles cook much quicker than regular lasagna noodles.
*Please see recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Spinach - you can use fresh spinach instead of frozen
- Cottage cheese- you can use regular cottage cheese instead of dry cottage cheese but it's important you drain it and cook the soup on the LOW setting (see ingredient notes above).
- Vegetarian - the beef hamburger can be replaced with a plant-based burger to make this vegetarian lasagna soup or skip the meat altogether
- Lasagna Noodles- you can use a fresh noodle that's easier to cut OR a different kind of pasta (such as bowtie). Or you can use whole wheat regular lasagna noodles (you'll need to add them earlier)
- Meat - you can make this lasagna soup with ground turkey or ground chicken instead of ground beef
- Tomato sauce - you can substitute marinara sauce
- Canned Diced Tomatoes - you can use crushed tomatoes instead
- Herbs - you can use fresh herbs instead of dried, but you'll need to double the amount
- Add-ins - add in green peppers and a bay leaf, if you like
🔪Step-by-Step: How to Make Crockpot Lasagna Soup (with cottage cheese)
Add all ingredients to the slow cooker, except the lasagna noodles and the mozzarella cheese.
*Make sure you don't drain the tomatoes or mushrooms!! And do NOT defrost the spinach.
Stir to break up ground beef and make sure ingredients are combined
COOK ON HIGH FOR 4 HOURS OR LOW FOR 8 HOURS
Soak oven-ready noodles in boiling water for about 7 minutes.
* You don't have to do this with the noodles. Alternatively, if you don't care how they look, you can break them up before cooking and add the broken lasagna noodles OR you can put them in whole and cut them after if you prefer. Finally, you can use a fresh noodle that's easier to cut OR a different type of pasta (such as bowtie)
Remove onto a paper towel and pat dry
Slice into even bite-sized pieces
Add lasagna noodles and cook for 30 minutes longer, after the soup has cooked for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low (or until al dente).
*Make sure you turn it up to high if you were cooking on low heat.
Melt the mozzarella on top, then mix it in. Or simply ladle the hot soup into bowls, and dollop a scoop of mozzarella cheese on top.
Expert Recipe Tips
- The "No-Grease" Secret: Since we aren't browning the meat first, using extra lean ground beef is non-negotiable. If you use regular ground beef, the fat will rise to the top of the slow cooker and create an oily film.
- Noodle Hack: If you find slicing the soaked lasagna noodles too tedious, just break them into small 1-inch pieces while dry and dump them in! It's the ultimate "Lazy Way" shortcut.
- Flavor Boost: For an even deeper flavor, add a rind of Parmesan cheese to the slow cooker while it simmers. Just remember to fish it out before serving!
🥗 What to serve with Healthy Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup
Bread or garlic toast pairs perfectly with lasagna soup! If you have a bread machine, I recommend making these Italian Bread Machine Breadsticks (shown) this Onion and Olive Bread Machine Recipe.
My Old Fashioned Dinner Rolls also go well with this slow cooker lasagna soup with cheese. And if you're feeding a crowd, try it with my Non Alcoholic Strawberry Punch!
🌡️Storage
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It freezes well for up to 3 months in an airtight container or freeze-safe bags and can be reheated in the microwave.
This crockpot lasagna soup recipe will thicken even more to the point of being stewy when it sits in the fridge, as the noodles absorb the liquid. You can simply add a little more beef stock if you like it thinner.
👪 Serving Size
This Lazy Lasagna soup recipe makes 16 servings @ 1 ½ cups. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust. If you are increasing the amount, you'll need a larger slow cooker or an additional slow cooker.
🔢WW Points
This Weight Watchers Lasagna Soup is 4 WW points for 1 serving (1.5 cups) using light/low-fat parmesan cheese and partly skimmed mozzarella. If you add less mozzarella when serving, it will reduce the points.
Try it with my 0 weight watchers point Cloud bread!
Top tips
I also love to use a meal mug (affiliate link) to take this soup to work. I freeze it in the same mug, then pop it in the microwave and have it for lunch!
You will have leftover dry cottage cheese, but it does freeze well for up to 3 months, if you place the container in a large ziplock freezer bag.
You can also use up leftover dry cottage cheese (aka farmer's cheese) in one of these 15 recipes with Farmers Cheese !
❔Recipe FAQ's
To prevent overcooking, it's recommended to add the pasta during the last 30 to 45 minutes of cooking. Break the lasagna noodles into bite-sized pieces before adding them to the slow cooker.
Yes, you can prepare the soup in advance. Store it in the refrigerator and reheat before serving. If possible, add the pasta during reheating to ensure it maintains the desired texture.
It's advisable to use the 'warm' setting on your slow cooker for no more than two hours to ensure food safety and maintain the best texture and flavor.
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So, if you're looking for a healthy, delicious, and Weight Watchers lasagna soup, give this one a try! It's a recipe the whole family will love (mine did!)
🥣More Slow Cooker Stew & Soup Recipes
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📋Healthy Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound extra lean ground beef * do not precook
- 2 10 oz cans mushrooms (with water) - do not drain
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 28 oz canned diced tomatoes (with tomato juice) - do not drain
- 22 oz can of tomato sauce
- ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- ½ teaspoons dried basil
- 4 cups beef broth or vegetable broth
- 10 oz pkg frozen spinach (or 10 frozen spinach nuggets) - do not defrost
- 2 cups dry curd cottage cheese *aka Farmer's cheese
- 1 ½ cup light or fat-free grated parmesan cheese
- 10 oven ready lasagna noodles (also called 'express'), cut into smaller pieces (about ⅓ - ½ box) broken into pieces or bow tie noodles
Garnish
- 1 cup low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese a little on top
- more grated parmesan
Instructions
- Add all ingredients, except lasagna noodles and mozzarella cheese, to slow cooker *DO NOT DRAIN TOMATOES OR MUSHROOMSStir to break up ground beef and make sure ingredients are combined1 pound extra lean ground beef, 2 10 oz cans mushrooms (with water), 1 onion, 4 cloves garlic, 28 oz canned diced tomatoes (with tomato juice), 22 oz can of tomato sauce, ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, ½ teaspoons dried basil, 4 cups beef broth, 10 oz pkg frozen spinach (or 10 frozen spinach nuggets), 1 ½ cup light or fat-free grated parmesan cheese, 2 cups dry curd cottage cheese
- Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours
- Optional: Soak lasagna noodles in hot water for about 7 minutes.* You don't have to do this step. Alternatively, if you don't care how they look, you can break them up before cooking OR you can put them in whole and cut them after, if you prefer. Finally, you can use a fresh noodle that's easier to cut OR a different type of pasta (such as bowtie)10 oven ready lasagna noodles (also called 'express'), cut into smaller pieces
- Remove and place on paper towel. Pat dry.
- Then remove and slice into even pieces
- Add lasagna noodles and cook for 30 minutes longer (after the lasagna has cooked for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low). *Make sure you turn it up to high if you were cooking on low
- Melt mozzarella on top, then mix in. Or simply ladle the hot soup into bowls, and dollop a scoop of mozzarella cheese top.1 cup low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese a little on top
Garnish
- Add more parmesan cheese if desired. You could also garnish with fresh basil, if desired.more grated parmesan
Notes
- Spinach - you can use fresh spinach instead of frozen
- Cottage cheese- you can use regular cottage cheese instead of dry cottage cheese but it's important you drain it and cook the soup on the LOW setting (see ingredient notes above).
- Vegetarian - the beef hamburger can be replaced with a plant-based burger to make this vegetarian lasagna soup or skip the meat altogether
- Lasagna Noodles- you can use a fresh noodle that's easier to cut OR a different kind of pasta (such as bowtie). Or you can use whole wheat regular lasagna noodles (you'll need to add them earlier)
- Meat - you can make this lasagna soup with ground turkey or ground chicken instead of ground beef
- Tomato sauce - you can substitute marinara sauce
- Canned Diced Tomatoes - you can use crushed tomatoes instead
- Herbs - you can use fresh herbs instead of dried, but you'll need to double the amount
- Add-ins - add in green peppers and a bay leaf, if you like
BJ says
My slow cooker wasn't big enough for this, so I made it in my dutch oven pot on the stove top. It was delicious, and I gave a good helping to my neighbors who are senior citizens and they really enjoyed as well.
Terri Gilson says
Hi,
I'm so glad you were able to make this in your Dutch oven, it turned out great and everyone enjoyed it!
Yes, it just fits in my large crockpot, so it makes a lot. However, if you ever wanted to make it in a smaller slow cooker, you could cut this recipe in half.
Just click on the number of servings you'd like in the recipe card and the quantities will automatically adjust.
Thanks,
Terri
Terri Gilson says
I'm always on the lookout for easy, healthy recipes, and this Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup is a winner! It's so simple to just throw everything in and let it cook. The best part is I usually have all the ingredients on hand already. It's become perfect for busy weeknights when I want something tasty but don't have time to fuss in the kitchen.