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This super simple Healthier Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Vegetable Soup is the perfect fall dinner…great for nights when you’re craving Italian, but want something warming and healthy too. A mix of vegetables, simmered with Italian seasonings, a splash of wine, kale, and cheese tortellini. Finish each bowl off with an extra sprinkle of cheese and serve with crusty bread. It’s hearty, full of greens, and so delicious. Great for just about any night of the week. Plus the leftovers the next day make for the best lunch!
As promised…a new slow cooker recipe to start off the week. And a healthier one too. But don’t worry, it’s still creamy, cozy, and of course, delicious. I mean, it’s October, I wouldn’t share a non-cozy recipe at this point in the year. Cozy is always the way to go when the weather begins to turn cooler.
To be completely honest, I don’t love all soups. To me, a dinner soup needs to be hearty. It needs to be brothy, but it also needs texture, carbs, and preferably some cheese on top too. French onion? Yes – yum. Hearty, thick chili? Of course. Ramen with double the noodles? Yes, 100%.
But a brothy soup with just a few vegetables just doesn’t do it for me, which brings me to this soup. It’s vegetable soup, but it’s not your average vegetable soup. This one is creamy, cheesy, and made with not just vegetables, but cheese tortellini too.
It’s all the things I love in a bowl of soup, yet made on the healthier side too. Promise you guys, this one is good, and kid-friendly too!
Here is the story:
This soup just sounded good to me. I’ve never done an Italian-style tortellini soup, but oddly I’ve done a Mexican-inspired tortilla soup with tortellini. Not sure where I got that idea, but it sure is different. Nothing like this bowl of tortellini soup.
When I presented the idea of a vegetable-based tortellini soup to my sister-in-law, she gave it a double thumbs up. Granted Lynds loves a bowl of soup, but she’s also picky about her them. So instead of second-guessing my ideas, like I always do, I took her double thumbs up and I ran with it. And the verdict? I am very, very happened I listened. This is such a delicious bowl of warming soup. And I love that I was able to make it a touch healthier than the versions you might find in a restaurant.
And my favorite part…well, aside from the taste…this is actually the easiest soup to make. You can cook it low and slow in the slow cooker, or speed things up by cooking it in the instant pot, or you can even cook it on the stove-top.
To make this tortellini soup:
I love to start this off on the stove-top. I know it’s annoying, but I really think cooking your vegetables with the dried herbs and spices before slow cooking adds so much wonderful flavor. If you have an all-in-one browning slow cooker then you can do this all in the slow cooker bowl. I literally just hit purchase (before starting this post) on this all-in-one All-Clad slow cooker with a browning function. I cannot wait for it to arrive this week!
Cook the onions with a mix of my favorite Italian spices…the dried herbs, fennel, and smoked paprika. They are all KEY here. They add so much flavor, almost like Italian sausage, but minus any of the meat.
Once the onions have been seared, add everything to the bowl of your slow cooker. Then add tomato paste, a good splash of dry white wine, and plenty of vegetable broth. Cover and cook low and slow.
I like to just let my soup cook all day long. The house smells incredible as this simmers away in the slow cooker. But, as I mentioned, I’ve also included directions for the Instant-Pot and stove-top variations, in case you’re in a crunch.
Once the soup has finished cooking, before serving, stir in a few large handfuls of kale, cream or milk, parmesan cheese, and the cheese tortellini. Cook another few minutes and then that’s it.
Easy. EASY. But yet so delicious.
I’d highly recommend serving this soup with a side of crusty bread. If you own the HBH Super Simple cookbook, there’s a really good, really easy, no-knead bread recipe that’s perfect to pair with this soup.
If you’re planning to enjoy this soup leftover, be sure to first remove the tortellini from the broth before refrigerating. That way the tortellini won’t soak up all the broth. Then just add them back in before serving.
Alright, and with that, I’m going to leave you all to it. If your Monday night needs some warming soup, this should be it. I’m actually beyond excited to make this again today on Instagram stories. It’s the perfect fall soup.
Cannot wait!
Looking for other fall soup recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Creamy Wild Rice Chicken Soup with Roasted Mushrooms
Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar and Zucchini Soup
Instant Pot Pesto Zuppa Toscana
Lastly, if you make this Healthier Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Vegetable Soup be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Quick How-To Video:
Healthier Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Vegetable Soup.
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 1349 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2-4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (or 2 teaspoons dried)
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1-2 teaspoons fennel seeds use to your taste
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 6 carrots, chopped
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
- 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 4-6 cups roughly chopped kale
- 1/2 cup whole milk or heavy cream
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1 pound fresh cheese tortellini
Instructions
Slow Cooker
- 1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onion, garlic, thyme, basil, oregano, fennel, paprika, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, until very fragrant. Remove from the heat and add to the bowl of your crockpot. Stir in the tomato paste, carrots, and celery. 2. To the crockpot, add the wine, broth, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4-5.3. During the last 15 minutes of cooking, stir in the kale, cream, parmesan, and the tortellini. 4. Serve the soup topped with additional parmesan and fresh oregano, if desired.
Instant Pot
- 1. Set Instant Pot to sauté. Add the olive oil, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, basil, oregano, fennel, paprika, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, until very fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste. Turn the Instant Pot off.2. To the instant pot, add the wine, broth, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Cover and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes.3. Once done cooking, use the natural or quick release function. Set the Instant Pot to sauté. Stir in the kale, cream, parmesan, and the tortellini. Cook until the kale is wilted, about 10 minutes. Turn the Instant Pot off. 4. Serve the soup topped with additional parmesan and fresh oregano, if desired.
Stove-Top
- 1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onion and cook 5 minutes, until golden. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, basil, oregano, fennel, paprika, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook another 5 minutes, until very fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the wine, broth, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Simmer over medium heat for 20-30 minutes, until the carrots are tender. 2. About 10 minutes before serving, stir in the kale, cream, parmesan, and the tortellini.3. Serve the soup topped with additional parmesan and fresh oregano, if desired.
Hi Tieghan! I love your recipes – thank you so much for all the time and love you pour into creating them.
This looks delicious (as always!). One question for you, do you think I could sub the cream for coconut milk? You’ve offered that sub on other recipes so I assumed so, but didn’t want to assume!
Thank you!!
Hey Brianne,
Thanks so much for your kind message!! Yes, you can totally use coconut milk here:) Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
Loved this soup but husband, although loved the flavors thought the tortellini made it too rich. He is also not a fan of gnocchi. Would you think maybe adding a thick pasta or orzo would work? Or another suggestion? Thank you.
Hi Donna,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try! Any pasta you like would work here:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
I added a lb of ground Italian sausage so my meat loving husband and sons would consider soup a meal. Also subbed fresh spinach for kale (bc I already had it). This soup, albeit less healthy with my addition, was amazing and will def a repeat dinner!
Hey Tiffany,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, so glad to hear it turned out well! xT
Do I need to cook the tortellini before adding it to the crock pot during the last 15 minutes?
I used fresh tortellini (from refrigerator section at grocery store) and did not cook it first
Hey Deb,
Nope, you’re going to use fresh tortellini for this recipe, so no need to cook it first:) I hope you love the recipe! xx
This recipe is SO good- I’ve started adding a parmesan rind in halfway through and it’s amazing 🤩
Hey Alyssa,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe was tasty and thanks a lot for trying it out! xT
Hi!! I’m planning on making this for a dinner party this week, however, I would love to add some protein. Just curious if you have any suggestions (chicken vs Italian sausage) and at what point would I cook and add the meat! Thanks 🙂
Hey Anna,
Either of those would work well for you, I would add in step 1. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope this turns out well for you! xx
I have made this so many times and it is SO yummy! I want to add Italian sausage this time. Would you suggest cooking it and adding it in at the start? Or adding it at the end with the cream and tortellini?
Hey Madisen,
Happy Wednesday!! ❄️ I appreciate you making this recipe so often and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it always turns out well for you! I would add the sausage at the beginning:) xT
I am making this soup a day ahead of when I’ll serve it. Should I wait to add the cream, kale and parmesan? Thank you!
Hey Anne,
Yes, that would be a good idea! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
Hi – this soup sounds delicious! What is the serving size? I am debating if I need to double the recipe to serve 9-10 people?
Hey Michele,
This recipe makes 6 servings, so I would double it for 9-10 people. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xx
Made this tonight for a snowy Colorado night and it was absolutely delicious! I do have a question about the calories listed per serving. Is that accurate?
Hey Tracey,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and your comment, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! I always recommend that if the nutritional information is important to you, you use your own personal calculator. Ours is automatic and controlled by google. It’s not something we’d prefer to be using. We are required to. I’m sorry for the trouble, we do our best! xT
This was great! I added turkey sausage just bc I had a bit on hand to use up. Otherwise made as instructed on stovetop and it was really delicious and hearty without making me feel blah. 🙂
Hey Hayley,
Happy Friday!!⛄️ Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a hit! xx
I have Italian sausage I need to use – and I’ve made this recipe before and everyone at my house LOVED it! – and I know it doesn’t make it vegetable soup anymore…but would it work? Or compete/overpower all the yummy flavor?
It works! I did it tonight!
Thanks so much Hayley!!
Hey Lindsey,
Sure, sausage would be delicious to add here! Let me know how the soup turns out! I hope you love it! xx
Excellent recipe, I made it on the stove top and the entire family loved it.
Hey Kate,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xx
I’ve made this recipe twice and both times the vegetable broth completely dried up in the slow cooker- followed directions for high for 4 hours. What am I missing? It’s super tasty so would love to make again.
Hi Stephanie,
So sorry to hear this! That sounds super weird! When are you adding the tortellini? Anything else you may be adjusting? Let me know! xT
Hi Tieghan, not adjusting any really bedside substituting the tortellini. Do you think I have to put the slow cooker on the soup setting? We didn’t even add the pasta/kale at the end because it was too dried up when we opened the lid.
Maybe try cooking on low? I’m not sure, I’ve never had broth dry up in the slow cooker!
Our crockpot is like it’s connected to five times the electric output. I always put more vegetable broth and a tiny bit extra of herbs to match it and voila. Especially when I realized a package of tortellini I bought ended up being a few more ounces over a pound despite seeming like the rest that were really just a pound. Slow cookers are all so differently made.
Thanks so much for sharing Tracy!!
I made this tonight with a few modifications. The one I regret was subbing in Greek yogurt for the heavy cream – should have used milk I think that would have worked better. The yogurt sort of overpowered all the yummy flavors that had developed. Until that point, I did like that I swapped celery for a fennel bulb. Also, I agree with another commenter that 1lb of tortellini is too much – we ended up pulling out about 1/3 of a lb and I still felt like there were too many, I’d recommend going for 1/2 an lb.
Also, for those who are looking at the nutrition info the # of calories listed is for the whole recipe; I (like others) did my own calcs and with my substitutions this came out to ~380 cals… I’d bet with cream it would be closer to 425 cals/serving for 6.
Hey Anna,
Happy Monday!!☃️ Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was a winner! Sorry to hear about the yogurt, I definitely think milk would have worked better:) xx