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Kid-Approved Crockpot Lasagna Soup with Ricotta

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This slow cooker lasagna soup has all the rich, meaty, cheesy goodness of a layered lasagna without the fuss. Just brown the beef, dump everything in, and come back to a comforting, kid-approved meal that tastes like a warm hug.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 lb (450g) lean ground beef (85/15)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 (28-ounce / 794g) can crushed tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 4 cups (960ml) low-sodium chicken broth
  • 8 ounces (227g) dried lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 cup (250g) whole-milk ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup (115g) shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ½ cup (50g) grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until nicely browned, about 6-8 minutes. Drain off excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan.
  2. Add the diced onion to the skillet with the beef. Cook for 3-4 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in the minced garlic, oregano, and basil, and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
  3. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to deepen the flavor.
  4. Pour in about ½ cup of the chicken broth and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Pour this mixture into a 6-quart slow cooker.
  5. Add the remaining chicken broth and crushed tomatoes to the slow cooker. Stir to combine. Add salt and pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
  6. About 30 minutes before serving, stir in the broken lasagna noodles, making sure they are submerged. Cover and cook on HIGH for 25-30 minutes, until the noodles are tender (check at 20 minutes for al dente).
  7. While the noodles cook, mix the ricotta, shredded mozzarella, and grated Parmesan in a small bowl until combined.
  8. Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Top each serving with a generous dollop of the ricotta mixture. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

Notes

For leftovers, cook the noodles separately and add to each bowl to prevent them from soaking up all the broth and becoming mushy. If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can make this on the stovetop: brown the beef, add everything except noodles and ricotta, simmer for 30 minutes, then add noodles and cook for 10-12 minutes.

Nutrition

Keywords: lasagna soup, crockpot, slow cooker, kid-friendly, comfort food, Italian soup, ground beef, ricotta, easy dinner

Find it online: https://evadinnerideas.com/kid-approved-crockpot-lasagna-soup-with-ricotta/