Description
Hearty Italian tortellini soup combines comforting flavors in a simple crockpot method. Cheesy pasta and rich vegetables blend seamlessly for a satisfying meal you’ll savor with each delightful spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 3/4 pound Italian sausage, mild or spicy
- 3 cups cheese tortellini, fresh or frozen
Vegetables and Seasonings:
- 1/2 onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery ribs, sliced
- 2 cups fresh spinach or kale, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
Liquids and Cheese:
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup cream
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
Instructions
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, sauté ground sausage with diced onions until meat is thoroughly browned and onions are translucent.
- Incorporate tomato paste, Italian seasoning, minced garlic, and salt into the meat mixture. Sauté for an additional 2 minutes to enhance flavor profiles.
- Transfer the seasoned meat and onion mixture to the crockpot, ensuring all flavors are scraped from the skillet.
- Pour chicken broth into the crockpot and add chopped carrots and celery. These vegetables will provide depth and nutrition to the soup.
- Cover and slow cook on low temperature for 5-6 hours or high temperature for 2-3 hours, allowing vegetables to become tender and ingredients to meld together.
- During the final 15 minutes of cooking, gently stir in cheese tortellini, fresh spinach leaves, heavy cream, and grated Parmesan cheese.
- Allow tortellini to become soft and fully cooked, approximately 10-15 minutes, ensuring pasta reaches desired tenderness.
- Perform a final taste test, adjusting seasonings with salt and pepper as needed before serving hot.
Notes
- Swap sausage with ground turkey or plant-based crumbles for a leaner, lighter protein option that keeps the soup’s hearty flavor intact.
- Enhance soup’s nutrition by adding extra vegetables like zucchini or bell peppers during the last hour of cooking for added texture and vitamins.
- Prevent tortellini from becoming mushy by adding them closer to serving time and checking package cooking instructions for precise tenderness.
- Make soup gluten-free by substituting regular tortellini with gluten-free cheese or vegetable-filled versions without compromising the creamy, comforting taste.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 396
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 580 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 19 g
- Cholesterol: 74 mg