This Crockpot Tortellini Soup with Sausage is the kind of dinner you set up before the day runs away from you. Italian sausage browns in a skillet, everything except the pasta goes into the slow cooker, and hours later you stir in cheese tortellini and a splash of cream for a soup that tastes like it simmered all day on purpose.
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The trick is timing the tortellini. Fresh or frozen tortellini only needs the last 20 to 30 minutes in the pot, so it stays plump and never turns to mush. The sausage gives the broth a savory backbone, the tomatoes bring acidity, and the spinach wilts in at the very end so it stays bright green.
Serve it with crusty bread for dunking, or ladle it into bowls on a cold Tuesday and watch it disappear. It also reheats beautifully, which makes it a strong candidate for lunch the next day.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
About the Ingredients
1 lb (450 g) mild or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
Bulk sausage or links with the casings slit and peeled both work. If you can only find breakfast sausage, add 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed and a pinch of red pepper flakes to mimic Italian seasoning.
1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup / 160 g)
Sweet onion or shallots are fine substitutes. Buy onions that feel heavy for their size with dry, papery skins.
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
Jarred minced garlic works in a pinch; use 1 teaspoon. Look for firm, un-sprouted heads at the store.
1 can (28 oz / 800 g) crushed tomatoes
Diced tomatoes give a chunkier texture if you prefer. San Marzano-style cans are worth the extra dollar for sweeter flavor.
6 cups (1.4 L) low-sodium chicken broth
Vegetable broth makes this vegetarian-friendly once you swap the sausage for plant-based crumbles. Choose a broth you would happily sip on its own.
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, plus salt and black pepper to taste
A mix of dried basil, oregano, and thyme is a fine stand-in. Crush the herbs between your fingers before adding to wake up their oils.
4 oz (115 g) cream cheese, cubed and at room temperature
Neufchatel is a lighter swap that melts just as smoothly. Room-temperature cream cheese blends without clumping, so don't skip the softening.
20 oz (570 g) fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
Frozen tortellini needs no thawing, just a few extra minutes. Check the package weight; many bags are 20 oz, which is exactly right here.
5 oz (140 g) baby spinach
Kale or chopped Swiss chard can stand in; add kale with the tortellini since it needs longer. Buy bags with crisp, dry leaves and no slime.
1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
Half-and-half or whole milk works for a lighter soup, though the broth will be thinner. Avoid fat-free milk, which can curdle in the hot broth.
Tips & Tricks
Brown the sausage first
Skipping this step leaves the soup tasting flat. Searing over medium-high heat develops the fond that flavors the whole pot.
Add tortellini late
Tortellini dropped in at the start will disintegrate. Stir it in for the final 20 to 30 minutes on High only.
Soften the cream cheese
Cold cubes leave streaks. Let it sit out 30 minutes, or microwave it 15 seconds, then whisk it into the hot broth gradually.
Pro Tips
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Brown the sausage
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat (about 375°F / 190°C). Add the sausage and cook 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it up, until no pink remains and the edges are golden brown. Transfer to the slow cooker with a slotted spoon.
2. Soften the aromatics
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat, lower the heat to medium (about 300°F / 150°C), and cook the onion 4 to 5 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and stir 30 seconds until fragrant, then scrape everything into the slow cooker.
3. Build the broth
Add the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on Low for 5 to 6 hours or on High for 3 hours, until the broth is bubbling gently at the edges and the onion is completely tender.
4. Melt in the cream cheese
Uncover, add the cubed cream cheese, and whisk vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes until it melts into the broth with no visible lumps. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
5. Add the tortellini
Stir in the tortellini, cover, and cook on High for 20 to 30 minutes, until the pasta is tender and floats to the surface. Frozen tortellini may need the full 30 minutes.
6. Wilt the spinach
Stir in the spinach in handfuls and let it sit 2 to 3 minutes, until just wilted and still bright green. Do not boil it hard or it will turn drab.
7. Finish with cream
Turn the slow cooker off, stir in the heavy cream, and ladle into bowls. Serve hot with grated Parmesan and crusty bread.
Delicious Variations
Spicy Tomato Version
Use hot Italian sausage, add 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes with the garlic, and skip the cream for a brothy, spicy soup.
Tuscan White Bean
Swap half the tortellini for a can of drained cannellini beans and add a Parmesan rind during the long cook for depth.
Chicken Sausage and Kale
Use chicken sausage and chopped kale, adding the kale with the tortellini so it has time to soften.
How to Store Crockpot Tortellini Soup with Sausage
Refrigerator
Cool within 2 hours, then store in an airtight container up to 4 days. The tortellini will absorb broth, so add a splash of stock when reheating.
Freezer
Freeze the soup base without the tortellini or cream for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then add fresh tortellini and cream while reheating.
Reheating
Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat (about 250°F / 120°C) for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until steaming but not boiling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I put frozen tortellini directly in the crockpot?
Yes, frozen tortellini can go straight into the slow cooker without thawing. Add it during the last 25 to 30 minutes on High, since it needs slightly longer than fresh pasta to become tender.
Q: Why did my tortellini fall apart in the slow cooker?
The tortellini was almost certainly cooked too long or on the Low setting for hours. Add it only at the end, cook it on High for 20 to 30 minutes, and turn the pot off as soon as the pasta floats and is tender.
Q: Can I make this Crockpot Tortellini Soup without cream?
Yes, simply omit the heavy cream and the soup will still be rich from the cream cheese and sausage. For a lighter dairy-free version, use a dairy-free cream cheese alternative and skip the cream entirely.
Q: How do I keep the cream from curdling in the soup?
Temper the cream by whisking a ladle of hot broth into it before adding it to the pot. Also stir it in with the slow cooker off or on Warm, since boiling is what causes dairy to separate.
Q: Can I use frozen spinach instead of fresh?
Yes, use about 1 cup of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry. Stir it in during the last 10 minutes of cooking so it heats through without watering down the broth.
Give this Crockpot Tortellini Soup with Sausage a spot in your weekly rotation and let the slow cooker carry dinner. If you make it, leave a rating and tell me how your family liked it, and snap a photo for the next round of reader favorites.
Crockpot Tortellini Soup with Sausage
Crockpot Tortellini Soup with Sausage is a creamy, hearty slow-cooker dinner that needs 15 minutes of hands-on work and feeds a hungry family of six.
🧂 Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) mild or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup / 160 g)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 can (28 oz / 800 g) crushed tomatoes
- 6 cups (1.4 L) low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, plus salt and black pepper to taste
- 4 oz (115 g) cream cheese, cubed and at room temperature
- 20 oz (570 g) fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
- 5 oz (140 g) baby spinach
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
📋 Instructions
- 1Brown the sausage — Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat (about 375°F / 190°C). Add the sausage and cook 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it up, until no pink remains and the edges are golden brown. Transfer to the slow cooker with a slotted spoon.
- 2Soften the aromatics — Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat, lower the heat to medium (about 300°F / 150°C), and cook the onion 4 to 5 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and stir 30 seconds until fragrant, then scrape everything into the slow cooker.
- 3Build the broth — Add the crushed tomatoes and chicken broth to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on Low for 5 to 6 hours or on High for 3 hours, until the broth is bubbling gently at the edges and the onion is completely tender.
- 4Melt in the cream cheese — Uncover, add the cubed cream cheese, and whisk vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes until it melts into the broth with no visible lumps. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- 5Add the tortellini — Stir in the tortellini, cover, and cook on High for 20 to 30 minutes, until the pasta is tender and floats to the surface. Frozen tortellini may need the full 30 minutes.
- 6Wilt the spinach — Stir in the spinach in handfuls and let it sit 2 to 3 minutes, until just wilted and still bright green. Do not boil it hard or it will turn drab.
- 7Finish with cream — Turn the slow cooker off, stir in the heavy cream, and ladle into bowls. Serve hot with grated Parmesan and crusty bread.
