Description
This Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Soup is a warm and comforting Italian-inspired dish packed with savory Italian sausage, tender cheese tortellini, fresh baby spinach, and a creamy broth enriched with Parmesan and heavy cream. Perfect for a cozy meal, it combines hearty ingredients slow-cooked to meld flavors beautifully.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 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
- 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 the diced onion and minced garlic until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the ground Italian sausage, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning, cooking until the sausage is slightly browned.
- Transfer to Slow Cooker: Transfer the sausage and onion mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Add Flour and Broth: Whisk the all-purpose flour with the beef broth until smooth and pour it over the meat mixture in the slow cooker.
- Incorporate Tomatoes and Seasoning: Add the drained diced tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine all ingredients well.
- Slow Cook the Soup: Cook the soup on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours, allowing flavors to meld and the soup to thicken.
- Season to Taste: Perform a taste test and adjust seasoning by adding more salt and pepper if needed.
- Add Tortellini and Greens: Stir in the cheese tortellini, fresh baby spinach, grated Parmesan cheese, and heavy cream until fully incorporated.
- Cook Tortellini: Continue cooking the soup on high for an additional 10 minutes or until the tortellini is cooked through and the spinach has wilted.
- Serve: Dish the soup into bowls and serve hot, ideally accompanied by crusty bread for dipping.
Notes
- For a lighter option, substitute heavy cream with half-and-half or whole milk, but the soup will be less creamy.
- Use fresh tortellini if available for best texture; frozen tortellini works well too.
- Adjust Italian seasoning to your preference or add a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat.
- Drain diced tomatoes well to avoid thinning the soup too much.
- To make this recipe gluten free, substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend and use gluten-free tortellini.
- The soup reheats well and flavors deepen after resting overnight in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
