On a rainy Thursday last winter I slid into the kitchen with a grocery bag and the kind of tired that only a long day brings, and by the time I sat down to homework patrol and emails the house smelled like dinner because I had dumped everything into the crockpot for a simple Sausage Tortellini Soup Crockpot that simmered while life happened.
Why You’ll Love It
This is the kind of slow cooker dinner that frees up your evening. Prep is short, the crockpot does the heavy lifting, and picky eaters and busy adults both find something to love, so bring it out on weeknights, for casual guests, or whenever you want a low-effort, hearty meal.
Serves 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes |
Cook Time: 240 minutes |
Total Time: 260 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) mild Italian sausage, casings removed
- 12 oz (340 g) refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, crumble in the Italian sausage and cook until browned, about 5 to 7 minutes, drain excess fat.
- Transfer the browned sausage to the crockpot, add diced onion, minced garlic, diced tomatoes with juices, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes if using, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Stir to combine, cover the crockpot and cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 to
- 5 hours.
- About 25 minutes before serving, add the refrigerated cheese tortellini to the crockpot and stir gently to submerge.
- Five minutes before serving, stir in the fresh baby spinach and heavy cream, let the spinach wilt and the cream warm through, taste and adjust seasoning.
- Ladle into bowls and top with grated Parmesan, serve hot.
Recipe Variations
- Veggie-forward Swap out sausage for 2 cups of sliced mushrooms and add a can of cannellini beans for protein, keep the tortellini and spinach.
- Spicy Sausage Use hot Italian sausage and increase crushed red pepper flakes to 1 tsp for a bolder kick.
- Lighter Version Replace heavy cream with a 1/2 cup Greek yogurt stirred in off heat, and use turkey sausage for lower fat.
- Tomato-Basil Make it brighter by adding a handful of chopped fresh basil right before serving and using fire-roasted diced tomatoes.
Make Ahead: You can brown the sausage and chop the onion up to 24 hours ahead, store in separate airtight containers in the fridge. Combine sausage, onion, tomatoes and broth in the crockpot insert, cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours, then cook as directed. Cooked soup keeps in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days and freezes well for up to 3 months, omit tortellini before freezing and add fresh when reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will the tortellini hold up in the crockpot if I leave it too long Answer Add tortellini in the last 20 to 30 minutes to avoid them becoming too soft, refrigerated tortellini cooks fast.
Can I use frozen tortellini Answer Yes but add frozen tortellini about 35 to 40 minutes before serving and check for doneness, they take slightly longer than refrigerated.
Is this soup freezer friendly Answer Yes freeze without the tortellini in airtight containers for up to 3 months, add fresh tortellini when reheating.
Can I make this vegetarian Answer Omit the sausage and add extra beans and mushrooms, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Sausage Tortellini Soup Crockpot
This is the kind of slow cooker dinner that frees up your evening. Prep is short, the crockpot does the heavy lifting, and picky eaters and busy adults both find something to love, so bring it out on weeknights, for casual guests, or whenever you want a low-effort, hearty meal.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) mild Italian sausage, casings removed
- 12 oz (340 g) refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, crumble in the Italian sausage and cook until browned, about 5 to 7 minutes, drain excess fat.
- Transfer the browned sausage to the crockpot, add diced onion, minced garlic, diced tomatoes with juices, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes if using, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Stir to combine, cover the crockpot and cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 to
- 5 hours.
- About 25 minutes before serving, add the refrigerated cheese tortellini to the crockpot and stir gently to submerge.
- Five minutes before serving, stir in the fresh baby spinach and heavy cream, let the spinach wilt and the cream warm through, taste and adjust seasoning.
- Ladle into bowls and top with grated Parmesan, serve hot.
Conclusion
This Sausage Tortellini Soup Crockpot recipe is a dependable weekday win that saves time without skimping on flavor, it fits hectic evenings, feeds a crowd, and adapts easily to what you have on hand, so prep a bit ahead if you can, trust the crockpot to do the work, and enjoy a warm, satisfying bowl that feels like home.
