SLOW COOKER LASAGNA SOUP

SLOW COOKER LASAGNA SOUP 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 pound (500 g) lean ground beef mince 1 large onion diced 1 tablespoon minced garlic or more to taste 1 large carrot peeled and chopped 1 large zucchini chopped 2 cups chicken stock (or broth) 14 oz (420 g) tomato sauce (Passata) 14 oz (420 g) can crushed tomatoes 2 cups water 4 tablespoons tomato paste 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 2 teaspoons dried basil 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 beef bouillon cube crushed Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 8 large lasagna sheets broken into bite size pieces 1 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese Topping: 8 oz (250 g) reduced-fat ricotta cheese 1/3 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese plus extra to garnish 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley plus extra to garnish 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil Salt to taste Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Fry meat, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up any lumps, until browned. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sauté the onion until softened. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Transfer to a 6-qt slow cooker bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover with lid and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours. In the last 30 minutes of cooking time, add the lasagna sheets, cover and continue to cook until the pasta is al dente. Turn off heat and add the mozzarella, pressing into the heat of the sauce to allow it to melt. Combine ricotta, parmesan, parsley and basil in shallow bowl. Season with salt to taste and set aside. Divide soup into bowls (you may have some left over), scoop a tablespoon of the ricotta mixture on top and sprinkle with extra chopped parsley and finely grated parmesan cheese to garnish. Notes I recommend cooking the lasagna sheets/noodles until al dente then turning off the heat and serving immediately, or the pasta will continue cooking in the heat of your cooker and become gluggy. Something else I tried was turing off my slow cooker after the recommended cook time, and adding my pasta with the heat turned off (covering the bowl with the lid). The pasta still cooks in the heat of your slow-cooker, but it depends on the type of lasagna noodles you have on hand. We also tried fresh lasagna sheets and they clump up once they begin cooking. I recommend using Instant Lasagna Sheets.