Slow Cooker Tuscan Tortellini Soup
Need a recipe for slow cooker soup? This Tuscan Tortellini Soup is a grown-up version of those comfort food noodle soups you grew up with! The bold flavors of the sausage and spinach balance out the cheese Tortellini! See the recipe here. Also check out our Olive Garden Chicken Pasta.
Slow Cooker Tuscan Tortellini Soup
Soups are traditionally more popular in the colder months, but they also make a delicious lunch idea any time of year. I love that this recipe makes a large batch, so you can enjoy leftovers for lunch the next day.
This is an Italian flavored soup, so my favorite sides for it are a slice of crusty bread, or salad with some Italian Dressing and Parmesan. The instructions for this recipe are written for the Slow Cooker, but if you prefer to make soup on the stove just scroll down to the end of this post for separate Stove Top instructions. 🙂
Now to get to the recipe!
Make It:
This recipe starts with Italian sausage. I usually purchase Organic Chicken Sausage, but it won't change the flavor much so you can use what you find on sale or have in the freezer. You will cut into 1/2″ rounds and cook on the stove.
You can use a separate frying pan, but my preference is to make this all in one pan. If you have a Slow Cooker with a sauté option, you can make this all in one dish!
While the sausage is cooking over medium heat, dice your onion and mince garlic separately on a cutting board. Open your can of Tomatoes.
Again, you can use any flavor. Plain will work just fine in this recipe, but if you have Italian style or Roasted Red Pepper Tomatoes (my favorite), you can add those for extra flavor. Since it's going into the soup there's no need to drain.
After the sausage has finished browning, add all the diced vegetables and the sausage into the slow cooker.
You will need to combine all ingredients except olive oil, tortellini, and garnish in a 6 quart slow cooker. The Tortellini cooks quickly, so if we were too add it at this point they would be mushy and overcooked by the time the soup was done. So it's important to add all the pasta at the end of cooking time for soups!
Adding Tortellini
After you cook your soup for about 4 hours in the slow cooker, it's time to add the pasta. You can use dried, frozen, or oven ready tortellini for this recipe. It won't change the cooking time much at all. I use cheese tortellini but you can use any you prefer.
I prefer to use the frozen versions like Rana or Bertolli. These are tasty and have a good texture that — so far– I have not messed up in soups! I have also found the Member's Mark Tortellini at Sam's to be awesome. You do get more for your money there if you're a Sam's member. The double pack of tortellini is way too much for a single soup recipe, so I just take out what I need and freeze the rest in a Ziploc bag. l have also heard Aldi carries good Tortellini but have not had it recently.
For this recipe, you can add to the slow cooker within the last hour of cooking time. I keep an eye on it, and make sure it's not overcooking. For the oven-ready that only takes about 4 minutes in boiling water, I would actually recommend adding it to the slow cooker within the last 15 minutes or so! You don't want to overcook!
Add the rest of your garnish at this point. The olive oil is for extra flavoring, so if you are watching your fats or you're satisfied with how much oil you already have in the soup coming from the sausage, you can definitely leave out the olive oil.
Stove Top Instructions:
For the stovetop you will start out by cooking your sausage in large soup pot or Dutch Oven. Spray with cooking spray, add olive oil, and then your sausage and onion. Saute until soft.
To the same pan, add all the other ingredients except for garnish and tortellini. The same rule applies here– don't add that pasta until your soup has cooked down some! 🙂
Cover and cook on the stove top for about 20 minutes at a medium simmer. You can then add the beans, tortellini, and spinach. Bring to a light boil and cook uncovered until tortellini is cooked throughout. (I loosely follow package directions on the pasta here). Serve immediately.
For stovetop instructions, see notes section at the end of the printable recipe. Enjoy! 🙂
Print Your Recipe Here:
Slow Cooker Tuscan Tortellini Soup
Need a recipe for slow cooker soup? This Tuscan Tortellini Soup is a grown-up version of those comfort food noodle soups you grew up with!
Ingredients
- 1 lb cooked italian sausage links cut into ½ inch rounds
- 2 - 9 oz packages refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 1 can white beans, drained
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Parmesan cheese & fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
Cut sausage into 1/2" rounds. Spray sauce pan with nonstick spray and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all sausage is browned.
Dice onion and mince garlic.
Combine all ingredients except olive oil, tortellini, and garnish in a 6 quart slow cooker. Add sausage.
Cook on low for 4 hours, then add tortellini and cook for another 15 minutes -1 hour or until tortellini is al dente.
Serve immediately, garnish with oil, cheese, and parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
Stovetop Instructions:
In a large pot, saute onion in olive oil until soft.
Add sausage and cook until golden brown.
Add garlic and cook for 1 minute
Stir in tomatoes, broth, red pepper flakes, and salt & pepper.
Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer on medium low heat until flavors are well combined - about 20 minutes.
Add tortellini and cook until al dente per package instructions, anywhere from 4 min to 10 min.
Stir in beans and spinach and cook about 2 minutes, until all ingredients are hot.
Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 658Total Fat 30gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 20gCholesterol 85mgSodium 2181mgCarbohydrates 63gFiber 6gSugar 5gProtein 34g
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