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 delicious and economical.
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 was inspired by my Make-Ahead Lasagna on this site, and pairs well with crusty garlic bread or Bread Machine Italian Breadsticks. It's also Weight Watchers friendly (see ww points below).
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🥘Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients for this creamy lasagna soup.
- 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 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)
- 2 cups dry curd cottage cheese (also known as Farmer's cheese)
- 1 ½ cup light or fat-free grated parmesan cheese
- 10 oven ready lasagna noodles, cut into smaller pieces broken into pieces or bow tie noodles
🔪Instructions
Add all ingredients to slow cooker, except lasagna noodles and mozzarella cheese.
*Make sure you don't drain the tomatoes, or mushrooms
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 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 lasagna 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 mozzarella on top, then mix in. Or simply ladle the hot soup into bowls, and dollop a scoop of mozzarella cheese top.
📖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 imporant you drain it and cook the soup on the LOW setting, as the regular cottage cheese contains milk. When milk is overheated or has an acid added to it, it can curdle. When milk curdles, it separates in curds and whey. The whey, or liquid, is separated from the curds, or the solids.
- 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 noodles
- Meat - you can make this lasagna soup with ground turkey or ground chicken instead of ground beef
- Tomato sauce - you can substitute marinara sauce
- 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
🥗 Side Dishes Pairing
These are my favorite breads to serve with this slow cooker lasagna soup with cottage cheese:
🍽Equipment
You will need a 6-quart slow cooker for this easy lasagna soup recipe, a cutting board, and a sharp knife, as well as a cheese grater. *See recipe card for equipment links and photos
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!
🌡️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 blue 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 additional slow cookers.
🔢WW Points
This recipe is Weight Watchers friendly @ 4 WW points for 1 serving (1.5 cups) using fat-free parmesan cheese and partly skimmed mozzarella. If you add less mozzarella when serving, it will reduce the points. To reduce points to 3 ww points, make this lasagna soup with ground turkey.
Try it with my 0 point Cloud bread!
💭Top tip
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 in one of these recipes:
🦺Food safety
- Make sure ground beef is cooked to an internal minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
- Never leave cooking food unattended
⭐ COMMENTS & REVIEWS
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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!)
📋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 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
NOTE: The photos in this recipe card will NOT print unless you set them to print by selecting "recipe image"
- 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 combined
- 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)
- 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. Garnish with fresh basil, if desired.
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