This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
This super simple Healthier Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Vegetable Soup is the perfect fall dinnerโฆgreat for nights when youโre 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. Itโs 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!
Half Baked Harvest At Home
20+ new recipes for wholesome comfort food made with everyday ingredients. Pre-order today! HBH At Home will be released on Tuesday, February 23rd!
As promisedโฆa new slow cooker recipe to start off the week. And a healthier one too. But donโt worry, itโs still creamy, cozy, and of course, delicious. I mean, itโs October, I wouldnโt 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 donโt 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 โ yum. Hearty, thick chili? Of course. Ramen with double the noodles? Yes, 100%.
But a brothy soup with just a few vegetables just doesnโt do it for me, which brings me to this soup. Itโs vegetable soup, but itโs not your average vegetable soup. This one is creamy, cheesy, and made with not just vegetables, but cheese tortellini too.
Itโs 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. Iโve never done an Italian-style tortellini soup, but oddly Iโve 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 sheโs 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 partโฆwell, aside from the tasteโฆthis 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 itโs 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 spicesโฆthe 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, Iโve also included directions for the Instant-Pot and stove-top variations, in case youโre 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 thatโs it.
Easy. EASY. But yet so delicious.
Iโd highly recommend serving this soup with a side of crusty bread. If you own theย HBH Super Simple cookbook, thereโs a really good, really easy, no-knead bread recipe thatโs perfect to pair with this soup.
If youโre planning to enjoy this soup leftover, be sure to first remove the tortellini from the broth before refrigerating. That way the tortellini wonโt soak up all the broth. Then just add them back in before serving.
Alright, and with that, Iโm going to leave you all to it. If your Monday night needs some warming soup, this should be it. Iโm actually beyond excited to make this again today on Instagram stories. Itโs the perfect fall soup.
Cannot wait!
Looking for other fall soup recipes?ย Here are a few ideas:ย
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, donโt 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.
Ingredientsย
- 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
Instructionsย
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 sautรฉ. 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 sautรฉ. 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.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
This recipe was so incredibly good and easy to make! Such amazing flavor! I also added white beans for some added protein/fiber! One of my kids said it was their favorite dish I’ve ever made them!
Hey Brittany,
Big thanks for making this recipe and sharing back. So glad it hit the spot! Happy Thursday!
Hi Tieghan!!! This recipe could not have come at a perfect time, with all the rain and storms happening in the North East! I am making this recipe tomorrow and I cannot wait! It’s the type of comfort food I am craving for – could you please tell me what I can use as a substitute for the white wine ? I prefer not to use alcohol in my recipes! Also, the biggest CONGRATULATIONS on your new cook book!!! I am so excited and cannot wait to make new recipes! Good luck with everything and have a pleasant rest of your week!:)
Hey Tahniat,
Wonderful! I am so glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it.
You can use broth in place of the wine:) Have the best week!
This was delicious. Love the flavor and will make it again. I think we would enjoy the flavor even without the Tortellini.
Hey Vanessa,
Awesome! Love to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it and taking the time to leave feedback.
Have a great weekend!
Read the reviews before making. This soup was lackluster in almost every way. Flavor was unbalanced, almost strange, watery, and soggy. And yes, I did follow the instructions. Groceries are expensive and I regret spending the money to buy these ingredients.
Sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed, thanks for making it!
did Italian seasoning instead of the herbs you suggested (which is basically the same thing) – and added chicken to this. It was amazing!
Hey Julie,
I’m so glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it!
Have a great weekend!
Hi! We were only able to find frozen cheese tortellini at our local grocery store. Would using frozen change things too much? If not, would you defrost/cook them prior to incorporating them?
If you arenโt sure, thatโs totally OK! We appreciate any advice you might have. Thank you for another wonderful recipe! ๐ฅฐ
Hey Lindsay,
You can keep the recipe as is, they may just need a tad longer to cook, no big deal:)
I hope you love this recipe! Have a great Sunday!
This was good. My family liked it enough to say keep it but some tweaks need to be made. There’s something just a little off with the herb mix. But we love the little touch of milk & cheese in the broth.
Hey Katie,
Awesome! Love to hear you enjoyed this recipe, I appreciate you making it!
Have a wonderful day!
This looks amazing, and I can’t wait to try it. But I have a deep loathing of kale. Do you think spinach would work in it’s place?
Hey Erin,
Totally, spinach would be a great option here! I hope you love this recipe, let me know how it turns out for you!
Every time I’ve made this soup it’s a hit and everyone thinks it must have taken forever shhhhh ๐
I’ve also substituted gnocchi for the tortellini which is fun too.
I’m wondering if I try to make it with 2% milk if it will come out ok? Has anyone tried?
Hey Melissa,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe so often and your comment, Iโm so glad to hear it is always a winner!
Yes, 2% milk should be just fine for you to do.
Iโve been making this regularly for a few years now (I would say at least once every few months) I think itโs great! I do a few tweaks-Iโve always used spinach in place of kale and heavy cream. I honestly have never sautรฉed the onion/spice/paste combo. And the last 20 mins or so I add some cornstarch in water and dump it in to thicken it a little. Delish!
Hey Nicole,
Happy Friday! I appreciate you making this recipe so often and your comment, so glad to hear it is always enjoyed!
Absolutely delicious and easy to make. Perfect for a snowy day! Thank you for another great recipe!
Hi Gail,
Happy Monday! Iโm grateful you made this recipe and for your comment, so glad it was enjoyed!
Great recipe! However when I did the calorie count in MFP it came out to 439cals per serving not what you suggested. Just an FYI for people needing that info!
Hey Jess,
Happy Monday! I’m grateful you made this recipe and for your comment, so glad it was enjoyed!