Description
Slow Cooker Tomato Tortellini Soup delights with rich, comforting flavors from Italian and American cuisines. Cheese-topped toast bites complement this hearty soup, offering a perfect meal for chilly evenings you’ll savor to the last spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound (450 g) Italian sausage
- 1 can (28 oz / 794 g) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 4 cups (960 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 package (20 oz / 567 g) refrigerated cheese tortellini
- 2 cans (10.75 oz / 305 g each) condensed tomato soup
- 2 cups (200 g) shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
- 1 medium onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 4 slices crusty bread
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Sausage Preparation: Brown Italian sausage in a skillet, meticulously breaking it into uniform, small pieces until no pink remains.
- Aromatic Foundation: In the same skillet, sauté diced onions until translucent, then add minced garlic and briefly bloom its essence.
- Liquid Composition: Transfer onion-garlic mixture to slow cooker, then combine chicken broth, diced tomatoes, condensed tomato soup, Italian seasoning, dried basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.
- Slow Cooking Process: Cover and simmer on low for 6-7 hours (or high for 3-4 hours), allowing flavors to meld and develop rich depth.
- Final Enhancement: Thirty minutes before serving, introduce cheese tortellini and heavy cream, cooking on high until tortellini reaches perfect tenderness.
- Crunchy Accompaniment: Preheat oven to 375F (190C), cube bread, toss with melted butter, garlic powder, and dried parsley, then bake until golden and crisp.
- Serving Presentation: Ladle soup into bowls, crown with freshly shredded cheddar cheese, and accompany with crispy toast bites for a delightful textural experience.
Notes
- Control Sausage Browning: Achieve a deep, rich brown color by cooking over medium-high heat, which develops complex flavor profiles and prevents raw meat texture.
- Optimize Slow Cooker Timing: Tortellini can become mushy if overcooked, so add them only during the last 30 minutes to maintain perfect pasta texture and prevent disintegration.
- Balance Spice Levels: Adjust red pepper flakes based on heat tolerance; start with a small amount and incrementally increase for personalized flavor without overwhelming the dish.
- Enhance Cream Integration: Temper heavy cream by stirring gradually to prevent curdling and ensure a smooth, silky soup consistency that blends seamlessly with other ingredients.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 980 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg