Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup

Overhead shot of a white bowl filled with crockpot tortellini soup on top of a striped blue napkin and white background.

This easy, creamy slow cooker tortellini soup recipe requires minimal prep yet produces super flavorful and filling results every time. A true one-pot weeknight dinner wonder sure to become a family favorite!

Course Soup

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Crockpot, Slow Cooker, tortellini soup

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 3 20

Total Time 3 30

Servings

Calories 591

Author Robyn Conley Downs

Equipment

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 pound bulk ground sweet Italian sausage or ground Italian chicken sausage
1 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves minced or finely grated
2 teaspoons no-salt added Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (15-oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups chopped carrot
6 cups chicken stock
½ teaspoon kosher salt

To Add at the End

1 (10-oz) package fresh cheese tortellini
½ cup cream
2 cups baby spinach
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Instructions

Slow Cooker Instructions

Heat a medium pan or skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, until just beginning to soften, stirring occasionally.
Add the sausage, breaking apart with a spoon. Cook until the sausage is browned and cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 3-5 minutes. Drain any excess fat if desired.
To the same pan, add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Transfer the sausage-tomato paste mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the crushed tomatoes, carrot, stock, and salt, stirring to combine.
Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours on high, or low for 5-6, or until the carrots are tender.
Uncover, switch to high (if not set to high already) and add the tortellini, stirring to combine. Cover and cook an additional 5-15 minutes on high, or until the tortellini is cooked through. Time will vary depending on your slow cooker, so check on the low end of time, then add time in increments of 5 until they reach the desired doneness.
Uncover and add the spinach, cream, and red wine vinegar, stirring to combine. Taste and add salt or additional vinegar if desired.

Stovetop Instructions

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and onion and cook for 2-3 minutes, until just beginning to soften, stirring occasionally.
Add the sausage, breaking apart with a spoon. Cook until the sausage is browned and cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 3-5 minutes. Drain any excess fat if desired.
To the same pan, add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Add the crushed tomatoes, carrot, stock, and salt, stirring to combine.
Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook, covered until the carrots are tender, about 15 minutes.
Uncover and add the tortellini, stirring to combine. Cover and cook an additional 5-15 minutes on high per package directions, or until the tortellini is cooked through.
Turn off the heat, then add the spinach, cream, and red wine vinegar, stirring to combine. Taste and add salt or additional vinegar if desired.

Notes

See blog post above for substitutions, dietary adaptations, storage tips and more.

Between the salt in the chicken stock and the sausage, I didn’t find that this soup needed much additional salt. Salt is a personal preference, however, so feel free to add salt at the end of the cook time if you think it needs it.

The overhead shot of the slow cooker includes tortellini to give a sense of the overall ingredients for this recipe. Please follow recipe instructions and add the tortellini and remaining ingredients at the end of the cook time.

If using frozen tortellini be sure to defrost them before adding to the soup.

Nutrition information calculated using sweet Italian sausage, a fresh cheese tortellini and heavy cream - as always, information will depend on which brand of tortellini and other ingredients you choose.

Nutrition