Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup with Whipped Pesto Cottage Cheese

Ingredients

My lasagna soup is made with simple ingredients, most of which you probably already have at home!

Scroll down to the recipe card for the full ingredient list.

Sun-Dried Tomato Lasagna Soup

• Yellow onion diced.
• Ground Italian sausage. You can use hot Italian sausage to add a little spice to the soup, otherwise, mild Italian sausage is great too! If preferred, you can use ground beef instead or a combination!
• Garlic cloves.
• Tomato paste.
• Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. I like to use sun-dried tomatoes with herbs for extra flavor! I also like to use the oil to sauté the onions!
• Dried basil.
• Dried oregano.
• Dried thyme.
• Red pepper flakes.
• Salt.
• Black pepper.
• Red wine. Use a dry, medium to full-bodied red wine, such as Pinot Noir, Merlot, or a red blend. You can substitute more chicken broth if preferred!
• Canned crushed tomatoes.
• Chicken broth.
• Lasagna noodles.

Whipped Pesto Cottage Cheese

• Cottage cheese. I like to use Old Home cottage cheese.
• Mozzarella cheese. I always recommend shredding your own cheese versus buying pre-shredded! It tastes better and melts the best!
• Parmesan cheese. Same goes for parmesan. You can buy a wedge of parmesan cheese, then shred it yourself.
• Basil pesto. I like to keep things simple with store-bought pesto or you can make your own!

How to make slow cooker lasagna soup

There's 3 parts to making this lasagna soup, but trust me, it comes together quickly and easily. Here's an overview with helpful tips.

Scroll down to the recipe card for the full instructions.

Make the Soup

• Step 1: Cook the onions and sausage. Sauté the onions in oil from the sun-dried tomatoes for extra flavor! Next, add the sausage and cook until nicely browned. A little crust on the meat adds lots of flavor!
• Step 2: Add lots of flavor. Add garlic, tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes, and spices. Let that cook for about 1-2 minutes until the garlic and spices are fragrant. This is called blooming, which means you're heating the spices to draw out the flavor.
• Step 3: Deglaze with red wine. The red wine adds depth of rich flavor and a touch of sweetness that helps to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes, but it also works to deglaze the pot, allowing you to scrap those burnt bits off the bottom of the pot, adding flavor to the soup. Make sure the heat is turned up so the red wine sizzles when it hits the pot! The recipe only calls for ½ cup of red wine, but you can substitute chicken broth if preferred.
• Step 4: Add remaining ingredients. Add the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth, then let the soup simmer, or add everything to the slow cooker at this point! Cook the pasta when you're ready and make the whipped pesto cottage cheese (this can also be made ahead of time).

Cook the pasta

• Step 5: Cook the pasta. I like to cook the noodles separately from the soup so the noodles don't absorb the liquid if there are leftovers. Another thing worth mentioning, you don't have to use lasagna noodles! Feel free to use any pasta you prefer, such as rotini, penne, bowtie, etc.

Make the whipped pesto cottage cheese

• Step 6: Whip the cottage cheese. Add the cottage cheese to a food processor or blender and whip until smooth.
• Step 7: Mix in cheese and pesto. Transfer the whipped cottage cheese to a bowl and mix in mozzarella, parmesan, and pesto. I highly recommend shredding your own cheese because it tastes better and melts easier.

Variations & substitutions

Ground beef instead of Italian sausage

Swap the Italian sausage for ground beef or use a combination of both!

Vegetarian lasagna soup

Instead of sausage, try sautéing a variety of vegetables, such as bell peppers, zucchini, and yellow squash. Or add spiraled zucchini or yellow squash to the soup!

Use a different pasta

Instead of lasagna noodles, you can use short cut pasta, such as rigatoni, penne, bowtie, or rotini.

Frequently asked questions

Can I cook the noodles in the soup?

Yes, you definitely can, but you will need to add more liquid! Since the noodles will absorb liquid while they cook, add an extra 2 cups of chicken broth or water to the soup.

Can I use a different style of noodle?

Yes! You do not have to use lasagna noodles. Any short cut style of pasta will work great, such as penne, rotini, bowtie.

Can I make the soup without noodles?

Definitely! You can enjoy the soup as is without noodles or you can sauté a variety of vegetables, such as bell peppers, zucchini, and yellow squash. I recommend sautéing them before the meat then transferring them to the soup slow cooker.

Another great option would be spiraled zucchini or yellow squash! To prevent the vegetables from getting mushy, add them to the slow cooker about 20-30 minutes before serving.

What can I use in place of cottage cheese?

You can swap cottage cheese for ricotta! There's no need to whip the ricotta if you go that route. But, even if you're not a cottage cheese fan, I recommend giving it a try! When the cottage cheese is whipped and mixed with mozzarella, parmesan, and pesto, it's so delicious!

What can I use instead of red wine?

Red wine adds a rich flavor to the soup and a touch of sweetness, but you can omit the red wine if you don't have any on hand or if you're avoiding alcohol. Instead, just use more chicken broth. Or you can substitute white wine if that's what you have on hand!

Storage & reheating

Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. I like to store the pasta separately from the soup, so the noodles don't absorb all the liquid.

Reheat the soup on the stove or individual servings in the microwave.

Freezing

I recommend freezing the soup separately from the noodles. To freeze the soup, store it in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw soup overnight in the fridge or reheat from frozen on the stove with a little extra broth - cover and simmer on low.