This slow cooker lasagna soup is like a deconstructed lasagna in soup form. It’s made with a rich tomato-based broth, plenty of vegetables, and dollops of three cheeses mixed in.
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“Absolutely delish! Only change was more red pepper and fresh basil (no dried at home). The first thing my 9 year old said was “this is my new favorite food!” Definitely a keeper!” -Sharon, FoodieCrush reader
This recipe is brought to you by DeLallo Foods
Your Favorite Lasagna, As a Soup!
I’m very much into giving my favorite comfort foods a different spin to make them brand new again. Much like my taco soup, homemade Hamburger Helper, and French onion meatballs with orzo, this slow cooker lasagna soup is both comforting and nostalgic.
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. The flavors of this vegetarian lasagna soup recipe are very similar to my classic lasagna, just in a more slurpable form.
The soup is made with some of my favorite Italian products from DeLallo, one of my long-time, most favorite partners here on the blog.
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Sauté the veggies separately. Doing this before adding them to the slow cooker imparts another layer of flavor to the soup.
Prevent soggy noodles by cooking them last. Avoid cooking the noodles in the slow cooker 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 them to the slow cooker at the end of the cooking time to flavor.
Add meat or beans if you like. If you’re a meat lover, feel free to cook sliced chicken sausage, ground beef, or ground turkey separately, then add it to individual bowls for a heartier lasagna bite. Or, you could add white beans to keep this lasagna soup vegetarian while also adding some protein.
The Main Ingredients
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Olive oil — For sautéing the veggies.
- Veggies — This slow cooker soup goes heavy on the veggies, with a blend of onion, garlic, mushrooms (adds a nice meaty bite), zucchini, and spinach.
- Crushed San Marzano-style tomatoes — These 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.
- Tomato paste — 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
- Vegetable broth — I use vegetable broth here to keep this soup vegetarian, but you could use chicken broth if you’d prefer
- Dried herbs — Bay leaves, basil, and oregano help those classic lasagna flavors shine through. Red pepper flakes add just a hint of heat.
- Lasagna noodles — 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.
- Cheese topping — This soup gets its lasagna-esque flavors thanks to the mix of ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan that melt creamily into the soup for that true-blue lasagna flavor:
Ingredient Swaps
- Add kale instead of spinach.
- Add some ground Italian sausage, ground turkey, or some white beans for protein.
- Change up your noodles (try cheese tortellini or orecchiette). 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.
- Zucchini or peas would be tasty additions.
3 Simple Steps to Making Lasagna Soup in a Slow Cooker
- Sauté your veggies before adding them to the slow cooker. If you’re short on time, you can skip this step without noticing too much of a difference in flavor.
- Slow cook and walk away! Add in the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker (minus the lasagna noodles), turn it on, and walk away. Once finished cooking, stir cooked lasagna noodles into the soup and throw in a few handfuls of spinach to wilt down.
- Add the cheese, and serve. Stir part of the ricotta cheese mixture into the soup just before serving it, then dollop a little more onto each serving.
Heidi’s Tip: Don’t want to use your slow cooker this time? Follow the instructions of my classic lasagna soup recipe to make this soup on the stovetop. (The downside to making lasagna soup on the stove is that you can’t leave the house while the soup is cooking.)
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Vegetarian Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion , diced
- 4 cloves garlic , minced or pressed
- 2 cups brown mushrooms , sliced
- 2 zucchini , sliced
- 28 ounces canned DeLallo crushed tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons DeLallo tomato paste
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ⅛ 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
- ¼ cup parsley , chopped
- ¼ 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 they 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 ½ 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
Nutrition
What to Serve with Lasagna Soup
- The Best Garlic Bread
- Caesar Salad with Garlic Croutons
- Italian Chopped Salad with Marinated Chickpeas
- Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta
- Killer Garlic Knots
Storage and Freezing Tips
Slow cooker lasagna soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4 days or so.
If you’d like to freeze this soup, I recommend doing so WITHOUT the noodles and cheese topping. Simply thaw the soup in the refrigerator, reheat gently on the stove, boil your noodles separately, and then top with the cheese mixture. The soup will keep in the freezer for about 3 months.
More Italian Soup Recipes You’ll Love
- Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Pasta Fagioli
- Cioppino Seafood Soup
- Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup
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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 may be affiliate links in this post of which I receive a small commission. All opinions are always my own.
Sheryl
Question: Could I substitute either chicken broth or beef broth for the veggie broth? And, if yes, which one would you recommend? Also, I don’t have any zucchini, so what could I use to sub for it? Do you think that carrots would work? TIA!
Yes for sure you can sub. I’d probably go with chicken broth and if you don’t have zucchini, try butternut squash.
Becca
I made this and we loved it! However, I feel like there was not enough “soup” for us, so we will be adding more tomato paste and veggie broth to it next time to beef up the amount of “brothy soupy ness”!
Glad you liked it Becca.