Dinner doesn’t get much better than this easy Crockpot Tortellini Soup. Your slow cooker does all the work and you get to enjoy a hearty soup chock full of meaty sausage, cheese tortellini, and vegetables. Just grab some bread and dig in!
Why You’ll Love This Crockpot Tortellini Soup With Sausage Recipe
- Healthy But Hearty. A warming, hearty soup made in the slow cooker, this crockpot tortellini soup recipe (and this similarly satisfying Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup) is the kind of cozy dinner made for blustery winter days. It has all the warming comfort and indulgent touches you crave, done in a lighter, healthy way.
- Easy to Make. This easy tortellini soup with sausage and kale is made in the slow cooker, which means your hands-on time is minimal. Enjoy the experience of a hearty, homemade meal that took you fewer than 15 minutes of active effort to prepare!
- So Flavorful. Italian sausage adds loads of flavor to everything from Sausage and Potatoes to Italian Sausage Pasta, and this tortellini soup is no exception. Fennel might be an unexpected addition at first glance, but once you give this soup a taste, you won’t be able to imagine it without.
- Highly Customizable. The ingredients are simple and adaptable for what you have on hand at the moment. I share some variation ideas later in this post!
5 Star Review
“This was AMAZING. Absolutely a new favorite! Thank you!”
— Marie —
Ingredients and Substitutions
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes to keep in mind.
- Cheese Tortellini. What could be better than soft, pillowy cheese-stuffed tortellini? Absolutely nothing. Tortellini holds up nicely in the soup and brings easy, cheesy flavor. Plus, it cooks directly in the slow cooker.
- Ground Italian Turkey Sausage. The sausage adds zesty flavor and rib-sticking protein. Turkey sausage is super flavorful and much lower in fat than regular pork sausage. You can use spicy Italian sausage or sweet Italian sausage.
- Onion + Fennel. Onion is classic. Fennel is unexpected and deeply delicious, especially with the sausage. Common in many Italian recipes, fennel gives the soup a note of subtle sweetness. It doesn’t overpower; rather, it will be the somethin’ somethin’ that makes you pause, try to put a finger on what makes this easy tortellini soup special, and then go back for more.
- Tomato Paste + Fire-Roasted Tomatoes. Two of my favorite stealth flavor builders. Both the fire-roasted tomatoes and tomato paste give the soup a depth that will fool everyone into thinking you spent hours lovingly simmering it on the stove, instead of tossing everything into the slow cooker and walking away. Your secret is safe with me.
- Garlic + Carrots. These two ingredients bring flavor, texture, and nutritional benefits to the soup.
- Red Wine Vinegar. A splash makes the soup lively, bright, and balanced. Don’t skip it. (Also adds a pop of acidity to Pasta Fagioli).
- Chicken Broth. The main source of liquid for our tortellini soup.
- Italian Seasoning. A perfect powerhouse of flavor for this slow cooker Tuscan tortellini soup.
- Kale. For added nutritional benefits, I tossed in some kale, just like in my Minestrone Soup. The kale softens and becomes almost imperceptible amongst the other ingredients in the soup. If you prefer, you can make the tortellini soup with spinach instead. (Kale is also the star in this Kale Soup!)
- Parmesan Cheese + Parsley. I suggest topping the soup with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and parsley. You will not regret this move.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Prep. Brown the sausage on the stovetop. Add the onion and fennel, cooking until softened (photo 1). Add tomato paste and garlic (photo 2).
Cook (photo 3). Add all of the ingredients but the kale and tortellini to the slow cooker. Set it on LOW for 3 hours and forget it.
Add the Pasta (photo 4). Stir the kale and tortellini directly into the crock pot with the other ingredients, let cook on LOW until tortellini is al dente.
Finish. Serve, sprinkle with Parmesan and parsley, and ENJOY!
Recipe Variations
- Sausage Tortellini Soup on the Stove. The stovetop recipe was adapted from this crockpot version, and it’s just as delish!
- Slow Cooker Vegetarian Tortellini Soup. Omit the sausage, and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. If you like, you can stir in a can of rinsed and drained white beans, such as cannellini or great Northern, into the soup for extra protein.
- Tortellini Soup with Spinach. Swap the kale for several big handfuls of roughly chopped spinach. For a creamy tortellini spinach soup spin, add a splash of half and half at the end.
- Crockpot Creamy Tortellini Soup. For an extra hit of indulgence, stir in a splash of half and half just before serving.
- Easy Spinach Tortellini Soup. Swap the regular cheese tortellini for spinach-stuffed tortellini. (See note above to swap the kale for spinach for a double spinach hit.)
- Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup. For chicken tortellini soup, use chicken sausage instead of Italian turkey sausage. You can also skip the sausage altogether and add cooked, shredded chicken into the slow cooker with the sautéed veggies (you can make shredded chicken on the stovetop or try this Crock Pot Shredded Chicken; for the ultimate shortcut, you could even use shredded, store-bought rotisserie chicken). Since sausage has more flavor than shredded chicken, you may want to stir in a pinch of red pepper flakes, black pepper, or even fennel seeds at the end.
What to Serve with Crockpot Tortellini Soup
- Bread. Pillowy soft Homemade Dinner Rolls are perfection, or go with a more rustic Rosemary Olive Oil Bread, or perfect Homemade Garlic Bread.
- Salad. Serve your crockpot tortellini soup with Arugula Salad, Winter Salad, or Beet Salad.
- Focaccia. No Knead Focaccia is one of the easiest yeast recipes you’ll make, and it’s a natural pairing with an Italian-inspired soup!
Crockpot Tortellini Soup
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 3 hours 40 minutes
Total: 3 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 12 cups
Video
Italian crockpot tortellini soup. An easy, healthy crockpot recipe with chicken or turkey sausage, spinach or kale, and cheese.
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound ground Italian turkey sausage look for it sold ground in a package, or you can also squeeze it from the casings if links are your only option
- 1 large yellow onion chopped (about 2 cups)
- 1 large fennel bulb chopped (about 2 cups)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted tomato paste I like to buy the kind in the tube so I can use it for several recipes over time
- 3 cloves garlic minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 3 large carrots chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth plus additional as needed
- 1 (15-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes in their juices
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 4 cups chopped stemmed curly or dinosaur kale about half of an 8- to 10-ounce bunch
- 1 (9-ounce) package 3-Cheese Tortellini
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- Chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven. Add the turkey sausage, onion, fennel, salt, and pepper. Cook, breaking apart the meat, until it is browned and the vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 additional minute.
- Lightly coat the inside of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker with nonstick spray. Add the browned sausage mixture. Next, add the carrots, 6 cups chicken broth, diced tomatoes in their juices, and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW heat for 3 hours, until the carrots are nearly tender.
- Stir in the kale and tortellini. Cover and cook on LOW for 30 additional minutes, or until the kale is wilted and tender and the tortellini is al dente. If your slow cooker runs hot, check the slow cooker a little early to ensure the pasta does not overcook. Stir in the red wine vinegar. If you would like a thinner, brothier soup, stir in additional broth until your desired consistency is reached. Serve hot, sprinkled with Parmesan and parsley.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 8); about 1.5 cupsCalories: 412kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 23gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 20mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6g
Related Recipes
Satisfying soups are my favorite way to use the crockpot! Here are some more recipes to try.
Sometimes simple recipes turn out to be the best ones, and this was one of them. I didn’t have to do anything complicated, but the soup still had a lot of flavor. It tasted like a meal I spent much more time making than I actually did. Really happy with this one. Thank you so much!
So glad to hear, Kimberly! Thank you!
I was a little worried about how this would go over with my picky eater, but surprisingly, they really liked it. The tortellini was definitely our favorite part. I served it with some bread, and dinner was a success. Thank you!
So glad it was a hit, Janice!