This crockpot lasagna soup is like a deconstructed lasagna made in an Italian tomato broth full of vegetables with a creamy dollop of a three cheeses mixed in.
This recipe is brought to you by DeLallo Foods
Vegetarian Crockpot Lasagna Soup
If you’ve found yourself trolling Pinterest, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve seen the meaty stove-top version of this easy vegetarian lasagna soup floating around. And there’s a perfectly good reason for that.
Because it’s so dang good!
I’m very much into giving my favorite comfort foods a different spin to make them brand new again. And when it comes to lasagna, I have a couple of recipe twists on this classic Italian comfort food up my sleeve, or at least, in my recipe box.
This time around, a healthy change-up to everyone else’s lasagna soup was in the works. To make the soup even simpler to make while coordinating the fam’s busy schedules, I took this vegetarian lasagna soup from the stove to the crockpot for cooking with ease.
Slow cooking makes lasagna soup easy to make any night of the week, and it can be made with the slow cooker function on the Instant Pot too.
Crockpot Lasagna Soup Ingredients
A few years ago I stumbled across my friend Brenda’s meaty version on Pinterest, and it’s what inspired me to give lasagna soup a whirl.
The flavors of lasagna soup are very similar to regular lasagna, just in a more slurpable form. The soup starts with some of my favorite Italian products from DeLallo, one of my long-time, most favorite partners here on the blog.
San Marzano-style tomatoes are a favorite of Italian cooks everywhere. DeLallo’s San Marzano crushed tomatoes are sun-ripened Italian plum tomatoes harvested in the Naples region of Italy. Their flavor is vibrant and sweet with a tender, meaty texture that’s been crushed smooth but thick, perfect for pasta sauces, and of course, soup.
To add a bit of bold body to the soup, I add DeLallo’s tomato paste, and all-natural double concentrate that’s extra rich and super thick in a squeeze tube so you can use a little or a lot without waste.
And of course, there’s the DeLallo lasagna noodles. Made with Italian semolina flour, these noodles cook perfectly every time, with the ridged edges capturing every bit of the soup’s broth.
Most of the crockpot lasagna soup recipes I’ve seen are made with sausage or ground beef to replicate the classic Italian recipe. But because I’m trying to add more meatless meals to our dinner table, I took this vegetarian crockpot recipe down the vegetable-only path, and used:
- zucchini
- onion
- garlic
- mushrooms
- spinach
Mixed with the oregano and basil flavored tomato based broth, the lasagna flavors really shine through.
But where this soup really gets its lasagna-esque flavors is thanks to the mix of three cheeses that melt creamily into the soup for that true-blue lasagna flavor:
- creamy ricotta
- shredded mozzarella cheese
- grated Parmesan cheese
- fresh parsley and basil
see more:Â 28 Days Of Lighter Pasta Recipes To Make Now
How to Make Crockpot Lasagna Soup
Using a crockpot or the slow cooking function on the Instant Pot makes this lasagna soup recipe super easy to pull together the night before or in the morning and let it cook on low for 7-8 hours, or 3 1/2 to 4 hours on high.
Sauté the onions, mushrooms, and garlic in a skillet before adding them to the slow cooker. If I’m really short on time I’ve skipped that step without noticing too much of a difference in flavor.
Then, add in the remaining ingredients (minus the lasagna noodles), turn on the slow cooker, and walk away. Once finished cooking, stir cooked lasagna noodles into the soup and throw in a few handfuls of spinach to wilt down.
Stir part of the ricotta cheese mixture into the soup just before serving it, then dollop a little more onto each serving.
see more:Â 30 Days Of Soups, Stews, And Chilis Made To Keep Winter Warm
Can I Make This Recipe Without a Slow Cooker?
I’m sure you can. You’d likely want to let the soup simmer over low heat for a few hours, then stir in the cooked lasagna noodles as instructed. The downside to making lasagna soup on the stove is that you can’t leave the house while the soup is cooking.
Can I Add Other Veggies to Crockpot Lasagna Soup?
I don’t see why not! Kale could easily be used instead of the spinach, you could add in some frozen peas in addition to the zucchini, and so forth. Let me know what vegetable combinations you try!
see more:Â 28 Healthy Slow Cooker Soups & Stews To Make Now
Tips for Making Crockpot Lasagna Soup
Avoid cooking the noodles in the crockpot with the sauce from the beginning of the cooking time. It will make the noodles absorb too much of the tomato sauce and become gummy. Instead, cook the lasagna noodles separately (undercook them slightly) and add the to the crockpot at the end of the cooking time to flavor.
A few readers have also suggested using cheese tortellini instead of the lasagna noodles and ricotta mixture. If you go the tortellini route, I still recommend cooking it separately and stirring it into the soup just before serving to avoid soggy pasta.
If you’re a meat lover, feel free to cook sliced chicken sausage separately, then add to individual bowls for a healthier lasagna bite.
see more:Â 31 Days Of Healthy Comfort Food Recipes To Make Now
More Lasagna Recipes You’ll Like Too
- Turkey Bolognese Lasagna Toss
- Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups
- Sausage And Ricotta Lasagna
- Butternut Squash Lasagna With Shiitake MushroomsÂ
- The Cheesiest Spinach And Cheese Lasagna
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Bookmark this recipe and leave a comment below, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Vegetarian Crockpot Lasagna Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 2 cups brown mushrooms sliced
- 2 zucchinis sliced
- 1 28 ounce can DeLallo crushed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons DeLallo tomato paste
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 6 ounces DeLallo lasagna noodles
- 4 cups fresh spinach
For the ricotta cheese topping
- 8 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves chopped
- generous pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
For the lasagna soup:
- Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and brown mushrooms, and cook until the begin to soften, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add the onion mixture to the insert of a 6 quart slow cooker with the zucchini, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, vegetable broth, bay leaves, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, kosher salt and black pepper.
- Set the slow cooker on low and cook for 7 hours or on high and cook for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.
- Once the cooking time is done, cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions, drain, and add to the soup. Cut them into smaller pieces if you'd like.
- Add the spinach and warm until wilted.
- Mix in half of the ricotta cheese mixture.
- Ladle into soup bowls and top with a dollop of the remaining ricotta cheese topping and sprinkle with more parsley and basil.
For the ricotta cheese topping:
- Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Feel free to cook sliced chicken sausage separately, then add to the bowls of the meat lovers for a healthier lasagna bite.
Nutrition
More Favorite Meals Made With DeLallo
- Baked Sausage And Cheese Rigatoni
- How To Make An Awesome Antipasto Salad Platter
- Italian Chopped Salad With Marinated Chickpeas
- Baked Turkey Meatballs With Creamy Polenta And Marinara
- 30-Minute Caprese Chicken Recipe
Tools You May Need to Make This Recipe
- 6 QT Slow Cooker with Lid
- Instant Pot 6-Quart Cooker
- Stainless Steel Chef’s Knife
- My Favorite Nesting Glass Mixing Bowls
What’s your favorite lasagna flavor? Share in the comments below and if it isn’t already on the blog, it just might soon be.
Craving more life balance, less stress, and better health? Check out my Nourished Planner, the daily planner to help create simplicity and under-schedule your life.
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This recipe is sponsored by DeLallo Foods. As always, thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. There are affiliate links in this post of which I receive a small commission. All opinions are always my own.
