Description
A warm and comforting slow cooker creamy tortellini soup packed with Italian sausage, tomatoes, cheese tortellini, and baby spinach, perfect for an easy and hearty meal.
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
Add-ins
- 20 oz. frozen/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: Over medium-high heat in a skillet, sauté diced onions and minced garlic until fragrant and translucent, about 2 minutes.
- Cook sausage mixture: Add ground Italian sausage, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning to the skillet. Cook until the sausage is slightly browned and cooked through, then transfer the meat mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Add broth slurry: Whisk the all-purpose flour into the beef broth until smooth, then pour this mixture over the meat in the slow cooker.
- Add tomatoes and seasoning: Stir in the drained diced tomatoes and season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
- Slow cook soup: Cook on high heat for 4 hours or on low heat for 6 hours to allow flavors to meld.
- Adjust seasoning: Taste the soup and add additional salt and pepper if needed for seasoning.
- Add tortellini and greens: Stir in the cheese tortellini, fresh baby spinach, grated Parmesan cheese, and heavy cream until well combined.
- Finish cooking: Continue cooking on high for an additional 10 minutes, or until the tortellini is tender and cooked through.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot, optionally with crusty bread on the side. Enjoy your creamy tortellini soup!
Notes
- Using fresh tortellini will reduce cooking time for the last step, while frozen tortellini may need the full 10 minutes.
- If you prefer a thicker soup, you can increase the flour to 1/2 cup or reduce the broth slightly.
- Substitute beef broth with chicken or vegetable broth for a lighter flavor.
- For a lower-fat version, use turkey sausage and half-and-half instead of heavy cream.
- Add crushed red pepper flakes for a spicy kick.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days and can be reheated gently on the stovetop.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
