Slow Cooker Tortellini Minestrone Soup is so easy to make and tastes incredible! A twist on the traditional minestrone, using tortellini instead of plain pasta, PLUS protein packed beans and loaded with veggies, this soup is filling comfort food in a bowl. RECIPE INCLUDES a stove top method!
You GUYS. The whole entire family AND the neighbourhood LOVED THIS Slow Cooker Tortellini Minestrone Soup! Unfortunately, we had to give bowls of it away before we left for vacation!
This Minestrone is one of those inventions where I probably shouldn’t call it a certain name (Minestrone) because I’ve swapped something for something else (in this case, an even better and more delicious swap in the form of tortellini), but it IS a certain name, (again…Minestrone) so I’m sticking with it. Have I lost you?
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What in the even why did I do this? Well, I could sit here and call myself a genius — as many others do — and polish my nails with my head held so high I could trip over myself, but it’s quite simple really. Remember when I made you guys this insanely popular Creamy Tortellini Soup? I had a few bags of tortellini lying around that were meant to be emergency stashes for our video. Didn’t need them = lying around tortellini > wanted minestrone > made it > thought ‘what would happen if I added tortellini to my soup?’
A miracle.
Don’t have a slow cooker? NO WORRIES. I’ve included a stove top method too. You’re most welcome.
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- 1 large white onion (or 2 small onions), diced
- 2 large carrots , diced
- 1 large celery stalk , diced
- 1 1/2 cups fresh green beans , cut into three pieces
- 2 cups diced pumpkin or butternut squash (optional - swap for potatoes if desired)
- 6 cloves garlic , chopped OR minced
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 3 cans (14.5 oz) diced or crushed fire roasted tomatoes
- 6 cups vegetable broth (or stock)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons Italian dried herbs
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoons vegetable bouillon powder (or stock powder)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional -- offsets the acidity from the tomatoes)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 parmesan rind
- 2 large zucchini , diced
- 1 can (15 oz | 425 grams) white navy beans (Cannellini beans), drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz | 425 grams) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 x packet (340 gram | 12 ounce) three cheese tortellini (I use dried not fresh, but you can use fresh or refrigerated if desired)
- 2 cups loosely packed baby spinach
- Finely shredded Parmesan cheese , for serving (or Romano)
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To a 6qt (or litre) slow cooker bowl, add the onions, carrots, celery, green beans, butternut squash (or potatoes), garlic, tomato paste, tomatoes, broth (or stock), salt, pepper, Italian herbs, basil, parsley, stock powder, parsley, sugar (if using), and mix well to combine. Add in the bay leaves, cover and cook on low heat 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours.
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Once cooked, add in the parmesan rind*, zucchini, white beans, red beans, and tortellini. Cook on high heat for an additional 25-30 minutes (for dried tortellini) or 10-15 minutes (for fresh tortellini) until pasta is tender and cooked through. Stir in the spinach, cover and allow to wilt in the heat for an additional 5 minutes. Add in 1-2 cups of extra water (or broth) if the soup is too thick for your liking.
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Serve warm topped with parmesan (or Romano) cheese.
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Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery; sauté until onion is transparent. Add in the green beans and garlic, and cook until the garlic is fragrant (a further 30 seconds). Pour in the broth (stock), tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the dried herbs and parsley, bay leaves, stock powder, sugar, parmesan rind, and season with salt and pepper to your tastes. Bring to a boil, cover with lid and reduce heat to low-medium. Gently simmer while stirring occasionally for 20 minutes. Add in the canned beans, zucchini and tortellini. Cover again and simmer for a further 25 minutes, or until pasta is tender. Add the spinach and allow to wilt through the heat of the pot.
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Serve warm topped with parmesan (or Romano) cheese.
*For a stronger parmesan flavour, add in the parmesan rind at the beginning of cooking along with the onions, carrots, etc. We like a milder flavour, so we add ours in the last hour of cooking.
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Lisa Pignataro says
Have you ever used ground turkey/chicken to add protein?
Karina says
You are always welcome to make the recipes your own. I haven’t tried it in an instant pot but I am sure it can be done!
BaseballMom says
This looks so yummy I have to try this….but, I’m pinched for time this week. Is there a way to do this in the instant pot? Would I just follow stove top instructions and have to bring to pressure twice – once for the soup base & 2nd for beans/pasta? What would you recommend? Thanks!
Claudia says
I love this soup, hearty and full of flavour, I have made it a couple of times now.
Please post more slow cooker recipes, you’re blog is awesome.
nightshadow says
This recipe sounds terrific and healthy too. Any chance nutritional content will be added?
Rosangela says
On the stove top version when do I add the butternut squash?
Michelle says
Delicious & flavorful recipe! I loved all the vegetables! The fire roasted tomatoes add a lot of flavor (as well as the spices). The recipe made a LOT–plenty left for at least 2 more nights! I did have to add extra water towards the end. Thank you Karina for sharing!
John Griffith says
As good as, if not better than one Minestrone Soup I recently had in Milan, Italy.