CREAMY TOMATO BASIL TORTELLINI SOUP (Slow Cooker)

Creamy Tomato Basil Tortellini Soup (Slow Cooker)

This velvety Creamy Tomato Basil Tortellini Soup with a touch of cream and tender cheese tortellini has always been a family favorite! Perfect on a cold winter night, this slow cooker soup is so easy to make, perfectly flavorful, and nice and hearty – happy tummies, happy hearts!  

Everyone loves fresh cheese tortellini - and you can add extra to keep everyone happy, or for a heartier soup.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

LET'S START WITH THE PERFECT FRESH INGREDIENTS:

• Olive Oil: I usually use organic olive oil, but for a richer, broth, add 2 tablespoons of butter when sauteing the vegetables.   
• Carrots:  add flavor and color to this soup.
• Yellow Onion: adds tender and sweet flavor to the soup.
• Garlic: cloves of fresh garlic add major flavor!
• Chicken Broth or Vegetable Broth:  Chicken broth is always good for perfect flavor, but if you’re a vegetarian, simply substitute vegetable broth.   
• Roma Tomatoes:  My personal favorite tomato for soups, but you can substitute crushed tomatoes.  Make sure you get crushed tomatoes and not diced tomatoes or tomato sauce, which will create a very different broth.
• Fresh Basil:  Fresh basil adds the perfect flavor!  Dried basil won’t add the same fresh flavor, but in a pinch, use dried basil and add a half teaspoon of Italian seasoning as well..
• Salt & Pepper: Season to taste with salt and pepper, but remember tomatoes LOVE salt, so you might use a little more than you might think. Taste as you go!
• Granulated Sugar: cuts the acidity of the tomatoes and adds a subtle sweetness. This is my favorite trick with homemade spaghetti sauce as well!
• Heavy Cream or Whipping Cream: fresh cream creates a thick, silky smooth soup. You will not get the same silky, creamy soup with half & half or milk.
• Fresh Tortellini:  I love using three or four cheese tortellini, but you can use chicken tortellini, spinach tortellini or Italian sausage tortellini for a different flavor.  But whatever you do, make sure to use FRESH tortellini – not frozen or dried. 
• Parmesan Cheese and Fresh Basil:  the perfect garnish on top of a bowl of this soup!  Adds another layer of flavor!  

MORE HOMEMADE SOUPS TO TRY:

• Creamy Taco Soup (Slow Cooker)
• Chicken Corn Chowder
• Lasagna Soup with Cheesy Garlic Bread
• Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup
• French Onion Soup
• White Chicken Lasagna Soup
• Sweet Potato Ham & Corn Chowder
• Chicken Gnocchi Soup (Better than Olive Garden)
• Wild Rice Soup​

Creamy Tomato Basil Tortellini Soup (Slow Cooker)

CREAMY TOMATO BASIL TORTELLINI SOUP

This velvety Creamy Tomato Basil Tortellini Soup with a touch of cream and tender cheese tortellini has always been a family favorite! Perfect on a cold winter night, this slow cooker soup is so easy to make, perfectly flavorful, and nice and hearty – happy tummies, happy hearts!   
​

Creamy Tomato Basil Tortellini Soup

INGREDIENTS:
2 cup diced carrots (3 medium)
1-1/2 cup diced yellow onion (1 large)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves fresh garlic (minced)
3 (28 oz) cans whole Roma tomatoes
4 cups (one 32 oz carton) chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
2 bay leaves
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
16 oz. fresh three cheese tortellini
1 cup heavy cream
 
GARNISH WITH:
Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated
Fresh basil, chopped
 
HOW I MAKE THIS:

1. Place celery, carrots, onion and garlic in a food processor and pulse until finely minced (or mince by hand with a sharp knife).
2. In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the butter over medium-high heat.  Add onions, carrots and celery and saute until the vegetables are just beginning to turn tender, about 4 minutes.  Add garlic and saute for 1 additional minute. 
3. Pour mixture into a 6 or 7 quart slow cooker along with tomatoes, vegetable broth, basil, bay leaves and sugar. Stir and season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Cover slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6 - 7 hours or HIGH for 3 - 3 1/2 hours.
5. Remove bay leaves.
6. At this point, you’ve got three options:
   • For a chunkier soup, leave it as is.
   • For a slightly chunkier tomato basil, use an immersion blender directly in the pan  and puree until desired consistency is reached. 
   • For a smooth soup, transfer the soup to a blender in batches and puree until smooth (don’t fill your blender more than half way at a time and make sure to let any steam escape so that the top doesn’t explode off the top of your blender); repeat as necessary and return to pan. 
7. Stir in tortellini, cover and cook on LOW heat for 10-15 minutes longer until tortellini is tender, stirring frequently.  If your soup is too thick, add ½ to 1 cup vegetable broth or water (remember that you’ll be adding heavy cream in the next step).
8. Reduce heat to warm, stir in heavy cream and continue cooking to desired temperature. Resist the urge to turn the temp up – anything higher than warm will curdle your cream.
9. Ladle soup into bowls or mugs and top each with plenty of freshly grated parmesan cheese and chopped basil. 

YIELD:  6-8 servings
​
NOTE: 

• STOVETOP PREPARATION:  You can also prepare this soup in a large Dutch oven on your stovetop and skip the slow cooker – or prepare on stove and serve from slow cooker to keep warm for a crowd.
• Soup will thicken as it cools; add additional chicken/vegetable broth or half & half to thin if necessary or when reheating.

Originally posted February 2013; revised & reposted October 2017.

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