Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup
by Chungah
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This crockpot tortellini soup has it all! With Italian sausage, tomatoes, and cheese tortellini in the creamiest broth! So easy and so cozy!
Featured Comment
It has been a very cold winter, and we are in dire need of some cozy, comforting goodness to warm us from the inside out right now. And this set-and-forget slow cooker tortellini soup really has it all – from crumbled Italian sausage to soft, pillowy three-cheese tortellini, to sneaked-in leafy greens in the most velvety, creamy, tomato-brothy goodness. And the tortellini cooks oh-so-perfectly right in the crockpot.
Why you’ll love this slow cooker tortellini soup
- Cold weather comfort food. Rain or shine, snow or sleet, winter or summer, this cozy bowl of tortellini soup always delivers. It is truly the best kind of hug-in-a-bowl.
- Dump-and-go crockpot dinner. This is what weeknight dreams are made of. You can brown the sausage and throw everything into a slow cooker in the morning for a dinner that basically cooks itself, coming home to a big bowl of comfort. No stress, no fuss, no mess.
- Freezer-friendly soup. Tortellini soup freezes so well for a quick, comforting meal any day of the week – ideal for meal prep, budget-friendly dinners or super chaotic, busy weeknights (not to mention, lazy weekends too!).
Ingredients
Italian sausage
Feel free to use pork or chicken sausage, mild or spicy. Helpful tip: bulk sausage will already have the casing removed (minimizing prep). Omit or swap with plant-based sausage for a vegetarian option.
Low sodium or unsalted chicken stock
Using low sodium or unsalted chicken stock allows for full flexibility and control to taste and add salt as needed. Substitute vegetable stock for a vegetarian option.
Tomatoes
We’re using both diced tomatoes and tomato sauce for a lovely tomato sauce base.
Onion, garlic and Italian seasoning
For all the aromatics and flavor.
Parmesan rind
Completely optional, but highly recommend not skipping! The Parmesan rind will soften throughout the cooking process, adding a rich, salty, nutty flavor while also naturally thickening the soup to a velvety, silky consistency.
Tortellini
Fresh, refrigerated tortellini (any variety) is ideal, and will cook much faster than dried tortellini.
Kale
This is the perfect opportunity to sneak in leafy greens, great for picky eaters.
Heavy cream
For that rich, creamy goodness, of course. Half and half can also be used for a lighter soup.
Basil
Adds a final burst of bright, fresh flavors.
Parmesan
Add your finishing touches with freshly grated or shaved Parmesan on top.
How to make slow cooker tortellini soup
- Crumble the sausage. First, cook and crumble the Italian sausage in a large cast iron skillet, draining the excess fat. Use spicy Italian sausage for a kick of heat.
- Add the ingredients to the slow cooker. Add the crumbled Italian sausage, chicken stock, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan rind, stirring well to combine.
- Cook on low or high heat. Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours (or high heat for 3-4 hours). Add the tortellini, kale (or any other leafy greens) and heavy cream, cooking for an additional 30 minutes on high heat.
- Add the finishing touches. Stir in the fresh chopped basil and season one last time with salt and pepper.
- Serve. Top with Parmesan and serve warm alongside all the homemade crusty bread or skillet dinner rolls for sopping!
what to serve with slow cooker tortellini soup
Tools For This Recipe
Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup: Frequently Asked Questions
I love using fresh spinach and cheese tortellini for more sneaked-in greens but your favorite tortellini variety would also work very well here.
Fresh, refrigerated tortellini is ideal in a slow cooker recipe like this one for its quick cook time. Dry tortellini will not work well here as it will take too long to cook through while absorbing much of the broth.
To prevent the tortellini from getting mushy, add the tortellini at the very end, cooking for 20-30 minutes on high heat until tender.
Heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream) has one of the highest fat contents with about 36-40% fat. Half and half or whole milk are suitable substitutes, but will yield a lighter result.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers without the tortellini and kale (or else they will get mushy) and heavy cream (cream soups tend to separate when frozen) in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop, adding freshly cooked tortellini, kale, and heavy cream when serving.
No slow cooker, no problem! You can use this recipe instead.
Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound Italian sausage, casing removed
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 medium sweet onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 (3-inch) Parmesan rind, optional
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated three cheese tortellini
- ½ bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- ¼ cup shaved Parmesan
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add Italian sausage and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks; drain excess fat.
- Place Italian sausage into a 6-qt slow cooker. Stir in chicken stock, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning and Parmesan rind, if using; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours.
- Uncover and stir in tortellini, kale and heavy cream; cover and cook on high heat for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until tortellini is tender. Stir in basil; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately, topped with Parmesan.
Equipment
Notes
- Brown the sausage first. Brown and crumble the sausage in a large cast iron skillet prior to adding to the slow cooker, draining the excess fat to avoid an overly oily soup.
- Use good-quality stock. The better quality your stock, the better your soup. Many brands love to pack in the salt so always opt for unsalted or a lower-sodium variety. Homemade stock is even better.
- Save leftover Parmesan rinds. Get more out of those expensive Parmesan cheeses by using up the leftover rinds! Adding a Parmesan rind slightly thickens the broth and adds a level of nutty richness to the soup.
- Tortellini cooks quickly. Always add the refrigerated tortellini towards the end to keep it al dente and tender. The longer it sits in the broth, the more it will soak up all the liquid and turn mushy over time.
- Sneak in those leafy greens. This is a great recipe to sneak in leafy greens for those picky eaters. Spinach, kale, collard greens, swiss chard, or arugula are all great options, adding towards the end of cook time.
- Add the cream slowly. Always add the heavy cream at the very end (prolonged cooking can cause the heavy cream to separate and become grainy), pouring very slowly to prevent curdling.
- Make it lighter. Wanting a lighter soup? Substitute half-and-half or skip the heavy cream altogether.
- Store tortellini separately for leftovers. When planning for leftovers, store the cooked tortellini separately from the soup to prevent it from soaking up all the broth.
- Make it on the stovetop. Need a quicker stovetop version? Try this recipe instead.
Did you make this recipe?
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Can I use crushed tomatoes instead of tomato sauce and spinach in place of kale ?
I woud love to know how long it can be stored in the refridgerator and how long it can be frozen.
It’s chilly in Boston today and will be even chillier tonight by dinner. This is my go to; 100% for the slow cooker. Set it and forget it; on the stove you need to keep a watchful eye and the slow cooker just makes for a ‘keep the home fires burning’ warmth. I recommend!
This is my favorite soup of all time!
Good flavor. I realized after making it that for me, this isn’t really an effective slow cooker meal. You have to dirty a second pan to brown the sausage, and it takes an extra 30 minutes at the end. It works much better as a one pot meal, which I see is already a recipe variation that is available. I wouldn’t bother with the slow cooker next time.
Today I am attempting to make this vegan. Using Tofurky vegan Italian sausage, Kite Hill vegan ricotta tortellini, nutritional yeast in place of the parm, Imagine No chicken broth, and cashew cream instead of the heavy cream. I think it’ll be great but I’ll report back!
This is the comment I was looking for. Curious how it turned out!
This is a fabulous recipe. I swapped out the Italian sausage for chicken based sausages to lighten it up a little, and it is now a really easy go-to to feed our big family. Yum!
Could I add a can of white beans in? And if so should I do for the full cook time or towards the end.
Just wondering if you can use spinach instead of kale in this recipe. Thanks.
I used spinach and it was delicious!