Creamy Crock Pot Sausage Tortellini Soup
Looking for a delicious and easy dinner that is made in the slow cooker? This creamy Crock Pot Sausage Tortellini Soup will check all of the boxes. This set it and forget it recipe is perfect for busy nights.
Table of Contents
I am a huge tortellini lover! Little pockets of pasta that are filled with cheese and other ingredients can’t be bad in my book.
Adding cheesy tortellini to a soup that is flavored with onions, garlic and Italian seasoning, PLUS has other ingredients like sausage and cream cheese…well that sounds like heaven.
The best part is that this Easy Tortellini Soup is made in a crock pot. It also has fresh basil and Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. There are so many things to love about this slow cooker soup! This Baked Potato Soup is also a great option.
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What goes into this Recipe
- Italian Sausage: You can choose from a mild or spicy Italian sausage based on your and your families preference.
- Jarred Marinara Sauce: There are some great brands with amazing sauce.
- Diced Tomatoes: When combined with the tomato sauce, it gives this slow cooker recipe awesome texture and tomato flavor.
- Chicken Stock: A reduced sodium chicken broth is great because then you can control the amount of salt added.
- Cream Cheese: Added at the end of this homemade soup, it helps create a creamy soup without having to use heavy cream.
- Tortellini: I prefer a cheese tortellini but you can purchase a tortellini that is stuffed with something else. I also love using it in this Sausage and Tortellini Skillet recipe.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Recipe Variations:
Meat-If you don’t like Italian sausage then you can use ground beef but be sure that you season it well. You can also use cooked and cubed/shredded chicken in this hearty soup.
Sauce-To get a creamier texture you can substitute the marinara sauce for a jar of alfredo sauce. It is amazing in this Chicken Alfredo Ravioli Bake.
Pasta-There are so many varieties, so choose your favorite fresh tortellini or frozen tortellini. You could also use ravioli instead.
How to make Crock Pot Sausage Tortellini Soup
- Warm olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add chopped onions and cook until translucent. Then add the garlic to onions and continue to cook for about 30 additional seconds or until fragrant. Add Italian sausage to the pan with onion and garlic and cook until no longer pink.
- Put the Italian sausage and onion mixture into a crock pot that has a crock pot liner.
- Add the chicken stock, marinara sauce, diced tomatoes and Italian seasoning to the top of the meat in the crock pot.
- Stir until everything is nicely combined. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours.
- In the last 30 minutes of cooking, add the tortellini. Also add the cubed cream cheese.
- Stir until everything is nicely combined and continue to cook for about 30 minutes.
Expert Tips
- Don’t skip the step of sauteing the onion and garlic. It brings out the natural flavors and sweetness in both of the ingredients and doesn’t take much time to do.
- For best results, be sure to brown sausage before adding it to the slow cooker. Adding it raw can change the texture.
- Adjust the heat of this perfect soup. Add crushed red pepper flakes with hot Italian sausage according to your family’s spice level so that everyone will love it, even picky eaters.
- Add the tortellini at the end of cooking and keep in mind that it will soak up the liquid as it sits. If you add too much tortellini it will not be a soup texture.
- Cut the room temperature cream cheese into small cubes before adding it to the soup. This will ensure that it will melt nicely into the soup without any lumps.
Storage, Reheating and Freezing
Make Ahead– To get a head start on this simple soup you can prepare all of the ingredients individually and have it ready to go. Saute the onion, garlic and brown the Italian Sausage, that way it is really quick to put together.
Store- Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat- To reheat this slow cooker creamy tortellini Soup, add the leftovers to a pot with additional chicken {or vegetable} stock {the stock will thin the soup}.
Put over medium heat until it warms through, stirring occasionally as it warms.
Freeze- To freeze this crockpot sausage tortellini soup, place it in an airtight container or cover tightly with plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 3 months and reheat as noted above.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours based on your schedule and preference. You can also make this sausage soup in a dutch oven on the stove top.
Yes, if there is significant grease after cooking the Italian sausage, it’s recommended to drain it before transferring to the crock pot.
While the recipe suggests using cheese-filled tortellini, you can choose your favorite variety, including those with different fillings.
Do you love comfort food? Try these easy recipes…
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Creamy Crock Pot Sausage Tortellini Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ small onion {finely chopped}
- 2 teaspoons garlic {minced}
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 4 cups chicken stock {or vegetable}
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 8 ounces cream cheese {cut into cubes}
- 15 ounces tortellini
Toppings
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese {grated}
- 10-12 leaves fresh basil {cut into thin strips}
Instructions
- In a large skillet, add olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is heated, add the onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic and continue to cook until fragrant {about 30 seconds}. Add Italian sausage to onion and garlic, cook until the sausage is no longer pink {if there is significant grease be sure to drain}. Transfer to a crock pot that is lined with a crock pot liner.
- Add chicken {or vegetable} broth, marinara, diced tomatoes and Italian seasoning to the meat mixture in the crock pot. Stir, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours.
- The last 30 minutes of cooking add cubed cream cheese and tortellini to soup. Stir well and continue to cook for the remaining 30 minutes.
- To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top with grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Brown the sausage before adding it to the crock pot. Adding raw meat can change the texture.
- Add the tortellini at the end of cooking and keep in mind that it will soak up the liquid as it sits. If you add too much tortellini it will not be a soup texture.
- Cut the cream cheese into small cubes before adding it to the soup. This will ensure that it will melt nicely into the soup without any lumps.
- Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
