This slow cooker creamy tortellini soup is so rich and creamy, it’s the ultimate comfort food! This recipe is surprisingly easy to make, and it’s perfect for a cozy weeknight meal!

slow cooker tortellini soup
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I’ve been getting a lot of use out of my slow cooker lately. I love that I can dump everything in and walk away! It’s been a game changer since our evening schedule can be a little crazy. From baseball practice to social events, it feels like we’re always running to something! This recipe has been a great one when I need something easy for dinner!

Ingredients & Substitutions

  • Vegetable broth: Since nothing gets sautéed, the broth does a lot of the flavor work. Use one with lots of flavor! I love using the Better than Boullion vegetable base.
  • Onion, carrots, celery, and garlic: The classic soup base (aka mirepoix). Chop everything into similar-sized pieces so it cooks evenly.
  • Tomato paste and Italian seasoning: This combination adds a savory, Italian-style flavor to the broth.
  • Frozen corn and kale: Kale is the star green here because it holds its texture in the slow cooker. Corn adds a little sweetness.
  • Cheese tortellini: A 20-ounce package of refrigerated tortellini is my pick for the best texture. Frozen works too, it may just need a little longer to cook.
  • Heavy cream, Parmesan, and garlic powder: The creamy finish. Freshly grated Parmesan melts much more smoothly than the shelf-stable stuff in the shaker. You can swap in evaporated milk if you want a creamy soup with fewer calories.

How to Make Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Soup

Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic to a 6-quart slow cooker.
Pour in the vegetable broth, then add the tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Stir in the frozen corn, chopped kale, and tortellini. Cover and keep cooking on LOW for 25 to 35 minutes.
While the tortellini cook, whisk the heavy cream, garlic powder, and black pepper together in a medium bowl.
Once the pasta is tender, switch the slow cooker to WARM. Slowly stir in the cream mixture, then add the Parmesan and stir until it melts into a smooth, creamy broth.
Taste and add more salt and pepper if it needs it.

When to Add Tortellini to Crock Pot Soup

Timing is everything with tortellini. Add refrigerated tortellini during the last 25 to 35 minutes of cooking. Frozen tortellini needs a little longer, so add it during the last 30 to 40 minutes. Add it any earlier and you’ll end up with mushy pasta that splits open in the broth. You can let the vegetables cook longer if needed, but don’t over cook the pasta.

Tips for the Best Tortellini Soup

  • Remove the kale stems. The tough center stems stay chewy no matter how long they cook, so pull them off before chopping.
  • Wait to add the cream. Adding it at the end keeps the broth from separating or turning grainy.
  • Don’t let it boil. Once the cream goes in, keep the slow cooker on WARM. Boiling is what makes creamy soups split.

Easy Swaps & Variations

  • Gluten-free: Use gluten-free tortellini and double-check the labels on your broth, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan.
  • More veggies: Add extra carrots, celery, or corn. Diced zucchini works too. Stir it in with the kale and tortellini.
  • Add beans: For more plant-based protein, stir in 1 can of drained and rinsed cannellini beans during the last 30 minutes.

Storage and Reheating

You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge but the tortellini will be a little softer after sitting in the broth. Just keep that in mind! It also may thicken as it cools so you can loosen it with a little splash of broth when reheating. You can reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop! I don’t recommend freezing the finished soup. The tortellini get mushy and the creamy broth can separate when it thaws.

creamy tortellini

FAQs

Can I use frozen tortellini? Yes. Add frozen tortellini during the last 30 to 40 minutes of cooking and start checking for doneness around 30 minutes.

Can I cook this soup on high? Yes. Cook the vegetables and broth on HIGH for about 1½ to 2 hours, until the vegetables are tender. Add the corn, kale, and tortellini and cook for about 20 to 30 more minutes, checking the tortellini as you go. Then switch to warm and stir in the cream mixture.

Can I use baby kale or spinach? Yes, and it saves you some chopping. Just add it in the final minutes of cooking, since it will cook faster than kale.

Can I cook the tortellini separately? Yep! The hot broth cooks it through on low; no boiling required, but if you want to cook it separately, you can!

More Slow Cooker Soup Recipes

If you’re looking for other soups to cook in your Crockpot, try my Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup, Slow Cooker White Bean Soup or Slow Cooker Tomato Soup.

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slow cooker tortellini soup

Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Soup

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  • Author: Liz Thomson
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 4 hours
  • Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 6
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Slow Cooker
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian
Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 3 celery stalks, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 4 cups chopped kale, tough stems removed
  • 1 package (20 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini (Frozen can be used see FAQs)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • Additional salt, to taste

Instructions

  1. Add the diced onion, carrots, celery, and minced garlic to a 6-quart slow cooker.
  2. Pour in the vegetable broth and add the tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Stir well to distribute the tomato paste throughout the broth.
  3. Cover and cook on LOW for 3 hours, or until the carrots and celery are tender.
  4. Stir in the frozen corn, chopped kale,cream cheese, and refrigerated cheese tortellini. Cover and continue cooking on LOW for 25- 35 minutes, or until the tortellini are tender.
  5. Begin checking the tortellini around 25 minutes. Avoid overcooking, as they can become too soft and begin to split.
  6. Once the tortellini are tender, switch the slow cooker to WARM.
  7. Slowly stir the heavy cream into the soup. Add the freshly grated Parmesan and gently stir until the Parmesan has melted and the broth is creamy and smooth.
  8. Do not allow the soup to boil after adding the additional dairy.
  9. Taste the soup and add additional salt and pepper as needed. Let the soup rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. The broth will thicken slightly as it sits.
  10. Ladle into bowls and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan and cracked black pepper.
  • Steps 4, 6, and 8 still mention cream cheese and half-and-half.
  • Recipe Notes say “don’t add the half-and-half too early.”
  • Modifications list dairy-free half-and-half and cream cheese, gluten-free still checks the cream cheese, and “Make It Richer” swaps half-and-half for heavy cream.
  • FAQs still include the “heavy cream instead of half-and-half” and “leave out the cream cheese” questions, and the “why shouldn’t it boil” answer mentions half-and-half.

The post follows the new ingredient list, so I dropped those two FAQs and the “Make It Richer” swap. Step 4 also still has the missing spaces in “kale,cream cheese” and “tortellini.Cover.”