Crockpot Tomato Soup with Cheese Tortellini
Posted: 09/11/2023
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Is there anything better than a bowl of creamy crockpot tomato soup? Add cheese tortellini and you just got your answer! This recipe is warm, comforting, and hearty, which makes it the perfect meal for chilly days.
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: The addition of cheese-filled tortellini takes this crockpot tomato soup from light dish to satisfying meal.
How long it takes: 15 minutes of hands-on time; 5 hours on High or 8 hours on Low.
Equipment you’ll need: Slow cooker
Servings: 9 servings
Table of Contents
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While just about every soup benefits from the low-and-slow cooking of a crockpot, whether it’s crockpot pumpkin soup or slow cooker green enchilada soup , I think tomato soup is especially well-suited for the slow cooker.
Let’s be honest: tomato soup has a tendency to be a little one-note. But crockpot tomato soup has ample time for the flavor to develop, adding depth and nuance (yes, soup can have nuance!) that you just don’t get from a few minutes on the stove.
This soup would be cozy and delicious on its own, but adding tortellini nudges it squarely into crowd-pleaser territory. Yes, crockpot tomato soup is a recipe your kids will love—and you won’t even need to sweeten the deal by serving a grilled cheese sandwich on the side!
About this Crockpot Tomato Soup
- Super satisfying. Or soup-er satisfying, if you’ll indulge me in a corny joke. If you like your soup thick, you’re going to love this easy crockpot tomato soup, which is almost more of a stew than a soup. (Rather your soup have more broth? No problem! Add extra water, broth, or milk.)
- A cozy recipe for fall and winter. Crockpot tomato soup with tortellini is the perfect soup for those snowy days when you just don’t want to leave the house.
- The slow cooker does (most of) the work. Yes, you’ll have to throw everything into the pot and then give it all a good purée with an immersion blender at the end of the cooking time, but other than that, this slow cooker tomato soup is hands off. You won’t have a bunch of pans to wash either.
Cooking Tip
If you use fresh Parmesan, you can toss the rind into the crockpot with the rest of the ingredients. It will infuse your tomato soup with umami flavor while it cooks. Remove what is left of it before serving the soup.
Ingredients You’ll need
- Aromatics: Aromatics is a term used to describe the ingredients that build the foundation of your soup’s flavor—in this case, carrot, onion, and celery. The trio adds depth and aroma, which is why you’ll find it in so many soup recipes.
- Canned Tomatoes: This crockpot tomato soup is made with canned tomatoes, which shortens prep time without compromising flavor. Use either whole or diced.
- Chicken or Vegetable Broth: Use vegetable broth for a vegetarian tomato soup. I recommend low-sodium broth so you can control the sodium in your soup by seasoning it yourself.
- Bay Leaf: Bay leaves really do add flavor to recipes! They bring an herbaceous note similar to thyme or oregano.
- Dried Basil: You can’t have tomato soup without basil! The flavor of fresh basil would be lost if you added it at the beginning of the cooking time, so we use dried basil first.
- Ground Black Pepper: Freshly ground is best; it’s much more flavorful.
- Garlic Powder: Garlic powder allows us to add a hint of garlicky flavor to our crockpot tomato soup without having to crush a bunch of garlic cloves.
- Salt: Start with a small amount and then taste and add more if needed after your soup is done cooking.
- Three-Cheese Tortellini: Buy the kind that’s sold in the refrigerated section at your grocery store. Feel free to substitute another variety if you’d like; spinach or pesto tortellini would also work well with the tomato soup base.
- Half-and-Half: There’s no cream in this recipe, but we do use half-and-half for a creamy consistency that’s not quite as heavy.
- Fresh Basil: The perfect finishing touch for crockpot tomato soup! Stir a handful in, then add more for garnish.
- Parmesan Cheese: This is optional, but I recommend it. You can use the shelf-stable grated Parmesan cheese that comes in plastic bottles, but freshly grated Parmesan is even better, as it will melt into the soup.
How to make This Crockpot Soup
Combine the chopped onion, celery, carrot, canned tomatoes, broth, herbs, and seasonings in a 6- or 7-quart slow cooker.
Stir and cover. Cook on high for 5 hours, or on low for 8 hours.
Remove the bay leaf (it’s easy to forget!) and use an immersion blender to purée the soup right in the crockpot, or purée batches in a countertop blender.
Stir in the tortellini and cook on high for another 15 minutes, or until the tortellini is cooked and tender.
Finish by stirring in the half-and-half and fresh basil.
Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with additional basil and Parmesan cheese, if desired.
FAQs
Should I peel tomatoes before making soup?
Tomato skin isn’t a pleasant addition to soup, so when you’re using fresh tomatoes, it’s best to peel them first. If you have a really good blender, you might be able to get away with leaving them on. This soup uses canned tomatoes, which are already peeled, cutting down on your prep time.
How do you thicken tomato soup?
Tomato soup is usually thickened by puréeing it and adding either heavy cream or half-and-half.
What to Serve With Tomato Soup
- Bread: Want to go the extra mile? Serve this soup with homemade bread. Try no-knead whole wheat bread or Italian herb and cheese pull-apart bread. Warm homemade muffins are always a hit, too. Try my banana bread muffins or apple cinnamon muffins.
- Crackers: Rather have crackers? Homemade Cheez-Its (cheddar cheese crackers) or seasoned oyster crackers go really well with tomato soup.
- Salad: A crisp salad is perfect, too, like this kale salad with cranberries or easy panzanella salad. Save a few of the homemade croutons to top the soup!
Changes You Can Make To This Tomato Soup
- Make it without a blender: No blender? No problem! Instead of whole or diced tomatoes, use canned crushed tomatoes. The texture of the soup will remain somewhat chunky because of the onions, carrots, and celery.
- Add pesto: Stir a spoonful of pesto into the soup after ladling it into bowls for some extra basil flavor.
- Skip the tortellini: For a more traditional tomato soup, omit the cheese tortellini.
- Add white beans: Add a can of rinsed, drained white beans instead of or in addition to the tortellini for extra protein.
Storage & Reheating Tips
- Refrigerate: Store leftover crockpot tomato soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: The soup can be frozen for up to three months but I recommend omitting the half & half. It can be added when you reheat the soup. I like to freeze the soup flat in zip-top storage bags so I can stack this and other freezer meals for easy storage.
- Reheat: Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave at 50% power in one minute increments, stirring each time. Larger amounts can be reheated on the stovetop. Try not to overheat the soup, especially if it already has the half & half in it, as it tends to curdle if overheated. This doesn’t affect the flavor, only the appearance.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
Warm, comforting, and hearty — all words that describe this simple crockpot tomato soup. It’s a crowd pleaser!
Ingredients
- 1 cup finely diced carrot, ¼ inch dice (about 3 carrots)
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion, ¼ inch dice (about 1 medium onion)
- ¾ cup finely diced celery, ¼ inch dice (1 to 2 stalks)
- 2 cans (28 oz. each) tomatoes, low or no sodium (whole or diced)
- 4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
- 1 pkg. (20 oz.) refrigerated 3 cheese tortellini
- ¾ cup half & half
- ¼ cup minced fresh basil, more for garnish
- Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a 6 or 7-quart slow cooker, combine carrot, onion, celery, tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, basil, pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on high for 5 hours (or low for 8 hours). Uncover and carefully remove bay leaf.
- Blend until smooth using a hand-held immersion blender. You can do this right in the crockpot. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can also purée this in batches in a traditional blender (be very careful!).
- Add tortellini and continue to cook on high for 15 minutes or until tortellini is cooked through.
- Stir in half & half and fresh basil; serve immediately, topped with additional fresh basil and Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- If desired, omit half & half, or replace it with heavy cream.
- If you’re not a fan of tortellini, the tomato soup is delicious without it. You could also add a can of white cannelini beans, rinsed and drained. They can be puréed into the soup, if desired.
- Storage: Soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; it can be frozen for up to 3 months. For best results, omit the half & half before freezing; add it when you reheat the soup.
- Recipe revised and retested 3/10/23.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1.5cups, Calories: 283kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 516mg, Potassium: 477mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 2712IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 161mg, Iron: 3mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
bill marsano says
You’re right, Lilly. Also (as you probably know) the soup should never be stored with the pasta in it. It’ll turn to mush. That’s why your approach, making the pasta separately, is perfect.
bill marsano says
Please tell how to make this soup using tomato juice as a substitute for the canned tomatoes.
Rachel Gurk says
I haven’t tested it that way so I can’t tell you for sure. Let me know if you give it a try!
Lilly Rose says
I am making this today, but I will be preparing my tortellini separately in a garlic butter sauce so they may be added (along with the fresh basil), per serving as needed. There are only two of us, and this will preserve the quality of both soup and tortellini for us to enjoy for a good three days – I think the garlic tortellini will be a nice touch anyhow :) – I can tell this one is going to deserve the 5 stars!
Rachel Gurk says
Oh, yum! Garlic butter tortellini sound incredible! I hope you loved the soup!
Renee says
This look delicious but I don’t have a slow cooker how would you cook it on a stove top?
Rachel Gurk says
You could definitely do this on the stove. I’d give the onions and carrots a quick saute in oil and then add the rest of the ingredients (except tortellini) and simmer until they were tender, and then blend. Bring to a rapid simmer, nearly a boil, add the tortellini and then just cook until they are done! :) Let me know if you try it!
John says
This looks great!
Susan says
Please tell people to remove the bay leaf! Some may not know.
Rachel Gurk says
True!