Tortellini Soup (Slow Cooker)

Tortellini soup in a blue bowl sitting on a wooden board with crusty bread and a spoon.

5 from 10 votes

A super easy tortellini soup crock pot meal that is not only easy and delicious but is pure comfort food for any time of the year. It's loaded with hearty ingredients and delicious!

Prep Time15

Cook Time6

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 404kcal

Author: Gina Abernathy

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil
1 pound ground pork sausage I used mild and hot
1 large onion diced
2 cups carrots diced
1 cup celery diced
1 tablespoon garlic minced
5 cups chicken stock or broth
2½ cups whole milk
8 oz. cream cheese cut into chunks, optional
14 oz. can diced tomatoes
10 oz. frozen spinach 9-12 ounces
1 teaspoon each salt, pepper, dried rosemary
16 ounces refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini

Instructions

Cook the sausage and veggies. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil, sausage, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook until the sausage is no longer pink, breaking it into bite-sized pieces as it cooks.
Add to the slow cooker. Drain the grease or use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage and vegetables to your slow cooker.
Add remaining ingredients. Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker EXCEPT the tortellini. Stir well. Add the lid.
Cook low and slow. Cover and cook for 4-5 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.
Add the tortellini. About 30 minutes before serving, stir the soup to ensure the cream cheese has melted. Add the tortellini, stir, and cook for another 30 minutes.
Serve. Ladle into bowls and serve warm with crusty bread or a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Cook 4-5 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.

Pro Tips:

It's not necessary to cook the vegetables with the sausage first. This is just a personal preference. You can toss them into the slow cooker and let them cook with everything else.
Cook the sausage first before adding it to the slow cooker. This step is necessary to render the fat from the sausage and prevent your soup from becoming greasy.
For extra flavor, deglaze your skillet with a splash of broth before adding the sausage to the slow cooker.
Cut the cream cheese into tiny cubes so it melts evenly. Cream cheese is optional and sometimes doesn't completely melt in the soup.
If using fresh spinach, stir it in with the tortellini so it stays bright and green.
Add the tortellini 30 minutes before serving so it doesn't get too soft.
You'll need a large crock pot. I used a 6 quart slow cooker. It filled it up to the top.

Nutrition