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This Crockpot tortellini soup with sausage is a comforting and easy to prepare slow cooker soup! It has Italian sausage, tomatoes, cheese tortellini, a splash of cream, and spinach.
You may also enjoy my Italian Sausage Orzo Soup or this Easy Zuppa Toscana next.
Why you’ll love it
If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know I’m a big fan of pasta and Italian sausage in soup like in my Lasagna Soup. It’s just such an undeniably tasty combo! In this slow cooker tortellini soup we’ve also got plenty of spinach in a rich tomato broth.
This cozy tortellini soup with sausage is the perfect meal to come home to. Get everything ready in the morning, and then pop the tortellini in while you’re unwinding after work. It’s really easy to make, and this soup will quickly become a family favorite.
What you’ll need
- Italian sausage – I chose mild. You can buy bulk meat, or take the sausage out of the casings.
- Onion, garlic, celery, and carrots – the aromatic foundation for many tasty soups. I like to use sweet (Vidalia) onions.
- Canned tomatoes – we’re using both crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes
- Chicken broth – for more savory flavor
- Tortellini – tortellini package sizes vary, so use anything around the amount I suggest. I use the refrigerated kind.
- Heavy cream – a touch of cream really enhances the texture and taste
- Spinach – for a pop of freshness and contrast
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- This is my 7-quart Crockpot slow cooker model.
- Here’s my favorite skillet for the sautéing step.
- My trusty can opener works great for the tomatoes, and this garlic press making mincing garlic effortless.
How to make slow cooker tortellini soup with sausage
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
In a skillet add the sausage and onions, and sauté until the meat is browned, breaking it up with a spoon. Discard any excess fat. Stir in the garlic until fragrant. Transfer the skillet contents to your Crockpot, and add in the celery, carrots, tomatoes, and broth.
Cook on low or high depending on your preference. When it’s about half an hour from being done, add in the tortellini, cream, and spinach. Stir occasionally. Season with salt & pepper as needed.
Pro tip
If you really need to, you could skip the step where you sauté the sausage and onion (I have tested similar recipes where I’ve just thrown raw sausage into the slow cooker), but I do recommend that step if possible because it imparts more flavor into this dish. You can also drain some of the fat if needed.
Substitutions and variations
- I made this a creamy tortellini soup, but, with that said, you can leave the cream out, and it’ll still taste delicious. I don’t recommend subbing for something with a lower fat content like half-and-half because it could curdle, though.
- Use spicy Italian sausage if you want a little heat to this soup, or add in crushed red pepper flakes.
- Want to make it on the stovetop? Try my similar Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup.
What to serve with this soup
- This Crockpot Italian sausage tortellini soup is delicious served with fresh parmesan grated over top!
- I love to pair it with a big Caesar salad with my 10-Minute Caesar Dressing and Garlic Croutons. Spring mix with my Creamy Pesto Dressing works too.
- Round out the meal with a slice of fresh crusty bread or my Cheesy Garlic Bread.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftovers of this creamy tortellini soup for 3-4 days in the fridge.
- Keep in mind that the pasta will soak up the soup the longer you leave it, so if you are reheating leftovers, you may need to add more chicken broth if needed.
- If you want to make this soup ahead (or freeze it), I suggest waiting to add the tortellini, cream, and spinach until you’re ready to eat it.
Hope you’ll love this tortellini soup with Italian sausage! Questions? Don’t hesitate to ask. Please leave a star rating and review below if you made it, or tag me on Instagram.
Crockpot Tortellini Soup with Sausage
Ingredients
- 16 ounces Italian sausage see note
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 medium carrots sliced or chopped
- 2 sticks celery chopped finely
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 (9 ounce) packages refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 3/4 cup heavy/whipping cream optional
- 2 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the sausage meat and onions to a skillet. Sauté for about 7-8 minutes, breaking the sausage meat up with your spoon, until browned. If needed, spoon out some of the excess fat.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the sausage mixture to your Crockpot.
- Add the carrots, celery, canned tomatoes, and chicken broth to the Crockpot. Keep in mind that if you want the soup to cook in 3-4 hours, the carrots will have to be chopped pretty finely. If you're cooking it for 7-8 on low or 4-5 hours on high, you can chop them larger.
- About 30 minutes prior to serving, add in your cheese tortellini, cream, and spinach (I set the heat to "high"). Give it a stir occasionally. Season with salt & pepper as needed prior to serving.
Notes
- Use ground sausage meat or whole sausages (take the sausage meat out of the casings). Feel free to use spicy sausage!
- The leftovers of this soup do soak up the broth a lot, so this soup is best eaten when it’s fresh. I suggest adding more chicken broth to leftovers if you need to. Or, add the tortellini in when reheating if you plan on having lots of leftovers.
- This is the 7-quart Crockpot I used to make this recipe. My Crockpot was pretty full by the time I added the tortellini.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This is so good. I loved that it didn’t overcook, since I had it in the crockpot ALL day while at work. I cooked the sausage the night before so I didn’t have to worry about that. I will make it again and add more sausage. I might even add big chunks of zucchini, too. I might substitute in mini ravioli instead of tortellini…or mix them both. It’s filling, comforting, and even more delicious the next day. Make extra!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it!! Thanks for your review! 🙂
Made this yesterday;
Delicious!
Fantastic!!
How big is a serving size to get 6 servings? Making this now! Thanks!
Hi Renae! It’s 1/6 of the recipe, and I don’t know any info beyond that (like oz/grams/etc.) – sorry! I provide the nutrition info as a courtesy to give readers a general idea, but it’s simply as estimate generated by software that pulls the info from a database. I’m not a trained nutritionist (or good at math), so I don’t feel comfortable providing anything beyond that. In any case, I hope you enjoy the soup! 🙂
This is a new favorite. Swapped half and half for the heavy cream and used kale instead of spinach, I think it holds up better in soups. Delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Angela!! 🙂
I could only find frozen tortellini cause our store was out of refrigerated. Is there really much difference in cooking? I defrosted them but I have yet to put them in
Hello! I don’t think there’s much difference at all. You could even put them in frozen next time. 🙂
Delicious and easy! I added a 1/4 red pepper flakes for some spice as well as the hot Italian sausage.
We cook the tortellini separate and add to our bowls so it doesn’t soak up the liquid and become soggy for leftovers.
Edit: 1/4 tsp
Excellent!! Glad you enjoyed it!
I am making this now and realized I don’t have any celery. Should I put in celery seed, or just not put anything in for a replacement. Just wondering if the taste will have an impact on it.
I’d probably just leave it out. A pinch of celery seed won’t hurt, though. 🙂 Hope you like the soup!
So I’m going to make this tonight. I only have a roll of ground sausage. Should I use all of it or half of it? Thank you in advance! 😊
How big is the roll? Here in Canada I don’t think we get those (I just buy a pack of sausages and take it out of the casings). I’d just use whatever is closest to the weight suggestion in the recipe. Doesn’t have to be exact. Hope you enjoy the soup!
I’ve made this soup many times, just on the stove top, and it is always a hit with my whole family!! Easy to make, easier to devour! Thanks for a winning, easy to prepare, healthy, hearty dinner that all – even kids, enjoy.
That makes me so happy!! So glad it’s a hit in your home. 🙂
We love this! We prefer it with the cream, it just adds something to it. I use the tortellini that has spinach in it.
Agreed! 🙂 I’m happy you like this one, Charlotte!