Description
This warm and comforting Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Soup is packed with flavorful Italian sausage, tender cheese tortellini, fresh baby spinach, and a rich creamy broth made with beef broth, diced tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese. Perfect for an easy, hearty meal that cooks slowly to develop deep flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb. ground Italian sausage
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes, drained
- Salt and pepper to taste
Final Additions
- 20 oz. frozen or fresh cheese tortellini (about 4 cups)
- 3 oz. fresh baby spinach, tightly packed (about 3 cups)
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Sauté aromatics and sausage: Over medium-high heat in a skillet, sauté diced onions and minced garlic until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add ground Italian sausage, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning. Cook until sausage is slightly browned.
- Transfer to slow cooker: Move the cooked meat mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Add broth mixture and tomatoes: Whisk flour into the beef broth until smooth, then pour over the meat mixture. Add drained diced tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Slow cook the soup: Stir everything to combine and cook the soup on high for 4 hours (or on low for 6 hours) to develop flavors and cook the sausage thoroughly.
- Adjust seasoning: Perform a taste test after the cooking time and add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Add tortellini and greens: Stir in cheese tortellini, fresh baby spinach, grated Parmesan cheese, and heavy cream until well combined.
- Cook tortellini: Continue cooking on high for another 10 minutes or until tortellini is cooked through and tender.
- Serve: Dish the soup into bowls and serve hot, ideally with crusty bread on the side to soak up the creamy broth. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use fresh or frozen tortellini according to preference; adjust cooking time slightly if using fresh.
- You can substitute ground turkey or chicken for a leaner sausage option.
- For a thicker soup, use slightly less broth or add a slurry of flour and water toward the end of cooking.
- Spinach can be substituted with kale or Swiss chard for variation.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat gently to avoid breaking down the cream.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
