Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Soup is pure comfort food, loaded with vegetables, Italian sausage and cheese tortellini! NO flour and NO heavy cream!
This Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Soup is one of my favourite recipes! Loaded with carrots, celery and spinach, soft pillows of cheese tortellini PLUS incredible flavours, this soup is thick and creamy without heavy cream OR a roux to get the thick and creamy texture.
Tortellini Soup
Another day… another slow cooker recipe! I’m so excited about this soup! You all know how much of a fan I am of converting heavy cream recipes into lower calorie ones when carbs are involved.
This is one of those quick to throw together recipes. Dump all ingredients into a slow cooker in the morning, and come home to your house smelling like a gourmet restaurant with a warm bowl of soup to south your soul!
HOW DO YOU MAKE TORTELLINI SOUP?
- Italian sausage gives this soup an amazing flavour BUT you CAN substitute it with plain and simple ground meats (ground chicken, turkey or beef sausage). For vegetarian options, leave the meat out all together.
- Dried three cheese tortellini is the best tortellini to use for this soup. You can also use fresh tortellini, just keep an eye on it as it doesn’t need as long to cook as dried. Any flavour is fine!
- The thick and creamy texture comes from a mixture of evaporated milk, cornstarch and milk. I found this mixture yielded the best results, but you can of course substitute with heavy cream if you wish.
- Veggies such as carrots, celery and spinach provide the best flavours. You could also add pumpkin, sweet potato, kale, zucchini, etc!
Pasta Soup
One of the BEST SOUPS I’ve ever tasted. The best part being it cooks while you’re NOT EVEN HOME! THIS is why I’m excited. Because coming home from a long day to find a bowl of comfort already done for you, and only needing a couple extra additions before serving? Priceless!
MORE TORTELLINI SOUP RECIPES
Minestrone
Creamy Tomato
Chunky Beef Sauce
SOUPS
Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup
Roasted Tomato Basil Soup (No Cream)
10-Minute White Bean Parmesan Spinach Soup
TORTELLINI SOUP ON VIDEO
Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage or ground chicken, turkey or beef, browned
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 large carrots chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoon beef bouillon powder or chicken
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups beef broth or chicken or vegetable broth -- I use low sodium
- ¼ cup cornstarch mixed and dissolved in ¼ cup water
- 36 ounces evaporated milk or half and half
- 12 ounce packet three cheese tortellini I used dried not fresh; choose any flavour you like
- 5 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- Place the browned sausage, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, Italian seasoning, beef bouillon powder, salt, and broth in a 6-quart / litre slow cooker bowl. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7 hours.
- Uncover and skim any fat that is sitting on the top of the soup with a spoon; discard. Stir in the cornstarch mixture with the evaporated milk (or half and half or cream). Add the tortellini and mix well. Cover again and cook on HIGH heat setting for a further 45 minutes until the soup has thickened, and the tortellini is soft and cooked through.
- Add in the spinach, pressing the leaves down to completely submerse into the liquid. Cover again for a further 5-10 minutes until the leaves have wilted.
- Pour in milk in ⅓ cup increments, as needed, to reach your desired thickness and consistency (I needed 1 cup); taste test and season with extra salt ONLY if needed, and pepper to suit your tastes.
- Serve with crusty warmed bread
Hayden says
My husband doesn’t like carrots or celery so I used cherry tomatoes instead along with spinach. It was amazing!! One of the best soups I’ve ever had.
dawn says
just wondering if i have to use cornstarch
Patricia McDougall says
Anybody else have trouble getting it to thicken?
Karen says
I’ve made this soup severa times and everyone loves it! Except that this past time I made it and it began to separate. I’ve never had that happen before. It doesn’t taste bad, just doesn’t look appetizing. Ideas as to why this may have happened?
Karina says
I’m not really sure Karen? That’s so odd?
Mendy says
Did you skim the fat off and temper the cornstarch/cream mixture?
Susan Braga says
I hope this comes out okay because I added everything into crockpot except tortellini, baby spinach and milk, will it be okay??
Karina says
Sorry I just saw this. How did it turn out?
J says
You need to add the cream/milk/etc. last, otherwise the dairy separates at high heat
Elaine says
Made this for my family. They loved it. My granddaughter had the recipe sent to her I-phone. Karen I warmed the evaporated milk before I added it to the pot. Added a little cream too also heated.
Kathy Holmes says
I add the cornstarch and water before the evaporated milk. It seems to incorporate better.
Lawson says
How many cups is one serving for the nutrition facts?
Karina says
One cup for each serving. Hope that helps! XO
Jeri says
Yum!! Made in the InstantPot, took about 20 minutes, added about 1/2 tsp nutmeg at the end. Picky and adventurous kids liked it equally. A keeper!
Sara says
I just bought an Instapot. Never used before. How did you do this recipe?
Kati says
I’d like to know specifics in the instant pot as well! I LOVE using mine.
Terra Shepherd says
Did you throw it all together in the instapot??
Amy says
Could you please post how you did this in the instant pot? I love this recipe and love my instant pot…would love to try it in there! Thanks!!
Sara says
I don’t know how she did it, but if I were making in my pressure cooker I would saute veggies in olive oil, add the sausage and brown, add in broth and seasonings and cook on soup setting for 15 minutes or so. Release pressure, add in corn starch mixture and evaporated milk or half and half and cook until I get desired thickness. In order to get liquids to thicken with corn starch or flour you have to cook it at a high enough temperature. I would add in spinach at the end and cook another 5 minutes or so.
Morgan Bonczek says
Would the slow cooker function on the InstantPot work the same way a traditional slow cooker doing it a lower temp for a longer period of time? I just mine today and havent even opened the box but want to make this recipe this weekend
Sue says
Has anyone ever put broccoli in this? Would I add this along with the other veggies?
Clare Sammut says
Hi! Just came across this and it looks great. 2 questions pls:
What does browned mean? Do I cook the meat before?
What is beef bouillon? Is it like the Knorr cube?
Thanks!
Karina says
Browned means to cook the meat before and brown all the edges of the meat.
Beef bouillon is similar to beef broth just in a cube condensed. You can find it but the soup or baking isle in some grocery stores. Hope that helps! XO
Samantha says
I accidentally added the milk mixture at the beginning of the cooking process, will this effect the overall outcome of the soup?
Any recommendations of a “reversal” so the soup still stays creamy?
Karina says
No, you are great! It will be a little different but still taste amazing! XO
Patricia E Davis says
Please, someone give an answer. I looked and looked through the comments and couldn’t find the answer but the question several times.
Can This Be Frozen???
Once I get the answer I’m going to make this delicious sounding recipe
Thanks
Karina says
Oh, yes! This is great frozen! Enjoy! XO
Courtney Schaan says
Question- If I only bought cold tortellini instead of Dry, how much do I reduce the cooking time ?
Karina says
You will want to watch it so it does not over cook. I would recommend cooking it until it is tender.
gayle alvey says
I bought frozen, hope it works well. Making this today
Audrey says
How long did you end up cooking it with the fresh tortellini? I’m making this soup today, and I have the fresh pasta as well. I’d love to know how yours turned out!