Lasagna Soup
We’re still smack dab in the middle of National Soup Month and there’s nothing I want more on a bitingly cold day than a big, hot bowl of soup. I’ll take anything from the classic chicken noodle to a hearty vegetable. I especially love it when my soup has stuff in it. Stuff like noodles, veggies or pasta. Yes, I said pasta. And no, I don’t mean noodles. I mean a thick, rich pasta.
Some of my favorite comfort dishes are pastas. I love a rich and creamy mac & cheese as much as a hearty spaghetti and meatballs, especially when served with some crusty garlic bread. While my boys are fans of both of those dishes, they can never get enough of lasagna. Although I don’t make it very often, whenever we go to an Italian restaurant, they always order one of two things: pizza or lasagna. I guess they just love all that meat and cheese… I know I do. And while I’ve often included different pastas in my soups, I’d never considered making a lasagna soup before. Luckily, Emily over at Zen and Spice did and it was amazing!
I know this may sound like an odd combination, but I’m here to tell you it totally works! And it really does taste like lasagna. It’s just lasagna surrounded but a rich tomato soup… kinda like if you added your favorite meat and pasta to your favorite tomato bisque. I mean, can you get any more comforting or hearty than that? I don’t think so. While I usually enjoy my tomato soup with crackers crushed up on top, this soup (just like plain old lasagna) begs to be served with a crusty garlic bread. If you think this soup is already amazing, I’ve got something that kicks it over the top: the whole thing is made in the slow cooker! Is your mind officially blown? Mine was.
I’ve talked before about how much I love my slow cooker and how often I use it, but it’s usually for things like pork loin or short ribs. I never use it for soups. Ever! See, soups usually take at most a couple hours to simmer on the stove. There’s no need to cook a good soup for hours. Will the flavors develop and become richer the longer you let it simmer? Of course! But it’s not necessary. So, the fact that I could make soup and pasta in a slow cooker, made my mind explode. I know it sounds weird but it really does work. Sure, the pasta is added in the last 30 minutes of cook time, but seriously, a whole. New. World!
While I loved this meal and can’t wait to make it again, my boys could not get enough. They not only cleaned their bowls, they went back for seconds! Seconds! That never happens. So, when it does, I keep these recipes in my back pocket for future reference. Trust me, when you find a meal that pleases the whole family, that’s pure gold and absolutely worth keeping in a separate stack for those cold days when you have no idea what to make for dinner. This lasagna soup is definitely one of those recipes.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 8 ounces bow tie pasta
- 1 cup ricotta
- shredded mozzarella and Parmesan
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the beef, onion, garlic, and cook until meat is browned. Drain fat. Place in slow cooker.
- Pour marinara sauce, tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, salt, oregano, cumin, black pepper, bay leaf and chicken broth over meat mixture in slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours.
- 30 minutes before serving, add the pasta. When ready to serve, discard bay leaf. Ladle into bowls and garnish with a scoop of ricotta, and some mozzarella and Parmesan. Serve with a slice or two of crusty garlic bread.
