Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup
Tortellini Soup is cozy and warming, with fresh tortellini in a light, but rich broth seasoned with Italian herbs and red pepper flakes.
Rich, meaty Tortellini Soup is warm, comforting, and easy to make. Pillowy tortellini in a light, but rich tomato broth seasoned with Italian herbs and red pepper flakes. Cozy and warming, this soup is the perfect remedy for cold, snowy days.
What you’ll need to make tortellini soup
- Ground beef: Grass-fed lean ground beef.
- Tortellini: Use your favourite tortellini, like rainbow cheese, herb cheese, spinach and cheese, or beef.
- Crushed tomatoes: Use canned crushed tomatoes or blitz canned whole San Marzano tomatoes in a blender until smooth.
- Broth: Use your favourite broth (or whatever you have on hand). I always have vegetable broth available, so that’s what I use. But, beef, chicken, or mushroom broth will work here too.
- Kale: Curly or lacinato (cavolo nero) kale, chopped.
- Onion + garlic: Adds depth and brightness.
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning + dried oregano + dried basil + red pepper flakes. Adds warmth, peppery spice, and herby Italian flavour to the broth.
- Salt: Enhances all the flavours.
Make your own Italian seasoning! Combine 2 tablespoons dried oregano + 2 tablespoons dried basil + 1 tablespoon dried thyme + 1 tablespoon dried rosemary + 1 tablespoon dried sage leaves. Makes a little less than ½ cup Italian seasoning blend.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap ground beef for Italian sausage. Use 500g ground Italian sausage meat, or 4-6 Italian sausages with the casings removed. To make it spicy, use hot Italian sausage.
- Replace tortellini with ravioli. Use your favourite fresh ravioli, like four-cheese, ricotta and spinach, mushroom, Italian sausage, or braised beef au jus.
- Make it creamy. For a thick, creamy broth add 1 cup heavy cream and 1 cup grated parmesan when you add in the pasta.
How to make slow cooker tortellini soup
- Brown the meat. In a multi-cooker pot, use the “Brown” or “Saute” function to cook the ground beef until browned, about 5 minutes. If your slow cooker doesn’t have a similar function, brown the meat in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the seasonings. Add the diced onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, and salt. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the broth. If you used a skillet, transfer the seasoned meat to your slow cooker pot. Add the crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth. Stir to combine.
- Slow cook. Cover and set to slow cook on “Low” for 4-5 hours.
- Cook the tortellini. Stir in the tortellini. Cook for 30 minutes, until the pasta is hot and cooked through.
- Add the kale and serve. Just before serving, add the kale.
What to serve with tortellini soup
This soup is hearty and filling on it’s own, but I can’t resist serving it with a side of garlic bread, artisan bread with garlic butter, or soft herb and garlic rolls with butter. Of course, you could always serve this soup as a side dish with a green or caesar salad and/or sandwich, like a French Dip, melty grilled cheese, or Italian sandwich on focaccia or ciabatta.
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Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup
Fresh tortellini in a light, but rich, meaty tomato broth seasoned with Italian herbs and red pepper flakes.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 (28oz) cans crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (350g) package tortellini
- 2 cups chopped kale
Instructions
- In a multi-cooker pot, use the “Brown” or “Saute” function to cook the ground beef until browned, about 5 minutes. If your slow cooker doesn’t have a similar function, brown the meat in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the diced onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, and salt. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- If you used a skillet, transfer the seasoned meat to your slow cooker pot. Add the crushed tomatoes and vegetable broth. Stir to combine.
- Cover and set to slow cook on “Low” for 4-5 hours.
- Stir in the tortellini. Cook for 30 minutes, until the pasta is hot and cooked through. Just before serving, add the kale.
Notes
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you’re enjoying this soup the next day (and beyond), you can expect the tortellini to be a little soft and puffy as it absorbs the broth over time.
Substitutions and variations:
- Beef: Instead of ground beef, use 500g ground Italian sausage meat, or 4-6 Italian sausages with the casings removed. To make it spicy, use hot Italian sausage.
- Italian seasoning: To make your own Italian seasoning, combine 2 tablespoons dried oregano + 2 tablespoons dried basil + 1 tablespoon dried thyme + 1 tablespoon dried rosemary + 1 tablespoon dried sage leaves. Makes a little less than ½ cup.
- Broth: Use your favourite broth (or whatever you have on hand); beef, chicken, or mushroom broth will work here too.
- Pasta: Use your favourite fresh ravioli instead of tortellini.
- Cream: For a thick, creamy broth add 1 cup heavy cream and 1 cup grated parmesan when you add in the pasta.
