Description
This Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Soup is a comforting and hearty dish packed with savory Italian sausage, tender cheese tortellini, fresh baby spinach, and a rich creamy broth. Perfect for a cozy meal, it offers layers of flavor with Italian seasoning, tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese, all slow-cooked to perfection for an effortlessly delicious dinner.
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
Additional Ingredients
- 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 onions and garlic until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Cook Sausage Mixture: Add Italian sausage, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning to the skillet and cook until the sausage is slightly browned. Transfer this meat mixture into a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Add Flour and Broth: Whisk the flour with the beef broth until smooth and pour over the meat mixture in the slow cooker.
- Add Tomatoes and Season: Add the drained diced tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Stir everything together to combine.
- Slow Cook Soup Base: Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours until flavors meld and the sausage is tender.
- Adjust Seasoning: Perform a taste test and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Add Tortellini and Greens: Stir in the cheese tortellini, fresh baby spinach, grated Parmesan cheese, and heavy cream.
- Finish Cooking: Cook on high for an additional 10 minutes or until the tortellini is cooked through and spinach is wilted.
- Serve Hot: Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot, optionally with crusty bread on the side.
Notes
- For a lower-fat version, substitute half-and-half for heavy cream or use a lighter sausage.
- If fresh tortellini is unavailable, frozen tortellini works perfectly fine; no need to thaw before adding to the soup.
- To make the soup spicier, add crushed red pepper flakes with the Italian seasoning.
- This soup can be made a day ahead and reheated; flavors deepen overnight.
- Ensure to drain the canned tomatoes well to avoid excess liquid diluting the soup.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
