This Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup is the perfect easy soup for weeknights. Gluten Free & Paleo variations included!
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I love lasagna in all its forms and this slow cooker lasagna soup is no exception! It's perfect for busy weeknights when you don't have time to make a traditional lasagna. This dish also works well in warmer months when you don't want to heat up your house by turning on the oven.
If you have kids, consider getting them in on the action. They'll enjoy breaking the lasagna noodles to add to the soup.
This recipe is flexible so don't be afraid to mix it up. Experiment with adding different veggies like zucchini, mushrooms or diced carrots. Try topping with freshly grated parmesan or add some fresh basil on top! Make it your own.
(Psst! Want more of a traditional lasagna? Try my Eggplant & Grass Fed Beef Lasagna or my Paleo Lasagna w/ Turkey & Zucchini!)
Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 6 oz frozen spinach
- 1 # ground beef
- 8 oz lasagna noodles
- 30 oz beef broth
- 30 oz crushed tomatoes
- 2 T Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 cup ricotta (optional)
Instructions
- Mince 2 cloves garlic.
- Chop ½ onion.
- Heat a large sauté pan over med-high heat.
- Add ground beef & 1/2 tsp salt and cook, breaking up meat, until browned. Place into slow cooker.
- In the same pan, heat 1T olive oil over medium heat. Add ½ chopped onion & 2 minced garlic cloves. Cook, stirring, 2-4 minutes.
- To the slow cooker, add onion/garlic, 30oz crushed tomatoes, 30oz beef broth and 2T Italian seasoning.
- Cook on low ~7 hrs or high 3 hrs.
- Break 8oz lasagna noodles into small pieces (don’t need to be even). Add to slow cooker w/ 6oz frozen spinach & cook ~30 mins or until noodles are tender.
- Top each serving w/ ricotta, optional.
Tips for Making This a Meal Prep Soup
This dish works perfectly as a meal prep soup! It was featured on our weekly meal prep meal plans, meaning it was specifically designed to be prepped ahead.
To prep ahead, mince garlic and chop onion and store in the fridge. On the day you plan to serve, all you'll need to do is saute the beef, garlic and onions briefly before adding everything to the slow cooker.
You can also make the entire recipe ahead. Slow Cooker soup recipes like this one taste just as good as leftovers!
How to Make Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup Gluten Free or Paleo
You can easily adapt this to be a gluten free or paleo soup recipe.
For gluten free, simply choose gluten free lasagna noodles! If your local grocery store doesn't have them, Thrive Market (<< affiliate link) is a great source.
For Paleo, omit the optional ricotta and omit the lasagna noodles. Serve the soup over zoodles. If you want to make your own zucchini noodles, it's actually quite easy! I recorded a short video on making homemade zoodles here.
What should I serve with this easy slow cooker soup?
This soup is delicious with some crusty bread on the side for dipping. (But then, what soup isn't?!) It's also really tasty alongside a nice green salad. A simple salad with my lemon herb vinaigrette would go really nicely with this soup. Alternatively, try my homemade caesar dressing from this recipe atop some crisp romaine.
Is this a healthy slow cooker soup recipe?
Yes! This recipe has a lot going for it nutritionally and makes for a great healthy slow cooker soup recipe. It's also quite adaptable. Leave out the dairy if you need to, add extra veggies if you like, make it your own! Here are some of the nutritional highlights:
Garlic (Beneficial Sulfur Compounds, Manganese, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Selenium)
Garlic has so many health benefits! It's been used in homeopathic remedies for thousands of years and is thought to reduce the risk of heart disease, high cholesterol and some types of cancer. Eating garlic may also help prevent colds and other minor illnesses. Scientists believe these substantial health benefits may stem primarily from garlic's sulfur compounds such as allicin, diallyl disulfide and sallyl cysteine.
Onion (Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Antioxidants, Folate, Potassium)
Onions are one of the easiest and most budget friendly ways to add more antioxidants to your diet. Antioxidants help protect you from free radicals that cause things like cancer and heart disease. Onions also have beneficial sulfides and polysulfides which may help protect against cancer.
Spinach (Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folic Acid, Iron, Calcium)
Low in carbs and packed with fiber, spinach is great for your eye health and may help prevent inflammation. Several studies have also shown that eating spinach may help lower blood pressure. This recipe calls for frozen spinach. Fortunately, studies show that frozen vegetables are a healthy alternative to fresh. Freezing may result in a loss of some nutrients like vitamin C but it also may lead to an increase in others like antioxidants.
Beef (Iron, Zinc, Protein, CLA)
Particularly high in iron and zinc, beef also contains vitamin B6, vitamin B12, selenium, niacin, phosphorus and, of course, lots of high quality protein. There is a lot of variation in the quality of different types of beef. Grass-fed beef is up to 500% higher in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than grain-fed. CLA may help reduce the risk for some types of cancer and type 2 diabetes. Grass-fed beef also contains up to 5 times as many Omega-3s as conventional beef.
Tomatoes (Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Potassium)
Packed with antioxidants, tomatoes may help reduce the risk of several kinds of cancer. Bonus tip? Combining tomatoes with healthy fats boosts absorption of tomatoes' phytochemicals!
I want more easy slow cooker soup recipes!
Slow cooker soup recipes are a wonderful way to make dinnertime easier, especially during the busy fall season. I regularly include slow cooker soups on our meal prep meal plans for just that reason! Here are a few of my favorites:
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
I'll tell you from personal experience, it feels pretty amazing to come home to this flavorful beef stew cooking in the crockpot on a fall or winter night. In addition to grass fed beef, it has an abundance of root vegetables like onions, carrots, potatoes and parsnips. It's gluten free and paleo-friendly too!
Slow Cooker Mexican Pork Stew
Jalapeno, lime, red onion and Mexican spices give this crockpot stew a ton of flavor. The sweet potatoes perfectly balance all of that savory flavor for an incredibly satisfying meal.
(Psst! I also included a FREE Crockpot Freezer Recipe Download in that post so make sure to check that out!)
Crock Pot 3-Bean Chipotle Chili
In my mind, there's nothing better than hearty chili in the fall and winter months. This one has lots of flavor and lots of veggies for a dinner that's equally hearty and healthy.
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