This recipe Cheesy Tortellini Crockpot Soup caught my eye on Pinterest. The pinner said this was “the BEST crockpot meal I’ve tried yet.” That was enough to perk my ears up!
I’ve wanted an easy, go-to, just “throw it all together” vegetarian crockpot recipe, and this was just the thing. I was unable to find the original source of the recipe on Pinterest, but if I could I would thank the person who shared this awesome recipe.
I’ve made it twice in a few months, and it was a hit with my family. The flavor is really nice and the soup is filling and delicious.
Even though it is not the lowest calorie meal, I take comfort in knowing it has a bunch of greens in it and a good bit of tomatoes. If I’m going to treat my family to a creamy & cheesy meal, I like to balance with a bunch of vegetables. I serve this with a big green salad and crunchy cracker sticks for dipping.
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This soup is an easy, go-to, just "throw it all together" vegetarian crockpot recipe.
- 16 oz frozen tortellini
- 1 small bag fresh spinach
- 2 15 oz cans Italian style diced tomatoes
- 4 cupa vegetable broth
- 1 8oz cream cheese block
- salt & pepper to taste
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Put all ingredients in the crockpot, chunking up the cream cheese.
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Cook on low for 4-6 hours, stirring a couple times while cooking.
Many reader comments below suggest adding the tortellini at the end of the cooking time, about the last hour. Some prefer the tortellini more al dente, less soft.
ChefShaun5
December 21, 2016 at 9:01 amTrying this recipe today. I added some sautéed onions and garlic, used frozen spinach, reduced fat cream cheese and also added a package of frozen broccoli and cauliflower. I’ll let u know how it turns out.
Meal Planning Sunday – Tractors and Glam
November 6, 2016 at 2:17 pm[…] use this […]
Celeste
April 25, 2016 at 2:27 pmI love this recipe. I added the tortellini to the top and waited for it to settle on its own no need to add later it was perfect not mushy at all.
Kate
February 14, 2016 at 5:23 pmI have made this before with many variations! Thank you!!! Tonight we are subbing tomatoes for Rotel to give it a kick and adding shrimp!
AmyNewNostalgia
February 18, 2016 at 5:38 pmSuper good idea–adding shrimp and Rotel. My hubs loves shrimp so I need to try that.
Cass
February 28, 2016 at 7:36 pmI stirred with a whisk and softened the cream cheese in the microwave with a little bit of milk before putting it into the crockpot , worked great!
Dottie
February 8, 2016 at 2:09 pmtrying it tonight, it looks great!! I’m also making a double batch. I only had regular petite diced tomatoes, so I added some Italian seasoning to the pot. I use the crock pot liners whenever I use my crockpot, I love them!! Just pick it up and through it out, no big mess to soak. I think I use my crockpot more now that I have fallen in love with these. To me they are worth the dollar or so they end up costing. If you haven’t tried them do so! I will check my soup soon and season it up as needed for our tastes. Thanks for the recipe, can’t wait to try it with added sausage or fire roasted tomatoes!
Anonymous
January 19, 2016 at 3:01 pmHow much spinach do you use?
AmyNewNostalgia
January 20, 2016 at 10:00 amI buy bags of organic spinach from Trader Joes and they come in 6oz bags.
Anonymous
January 9, 2016 at 10:06 pmI made this and it was really good but I would use 2 boxes of broth or less cream cheese because mine was really thick, it was more like a pasta then a soup.
Kara
January 5, 2016 at 12:01 pmDo not cook for 4 hours unless you like your tortellini over cooked! Otherwise delicious. Will make again but definitely adjusting time.
Sarah
December 29, 2015 at 2:30 pmCan this be cooked on High for a shorter period of time?
Kathy
November 30, 2015 at 1:31 pmI highly suggest using seasoned diced tomatoes like onion and garlic or peppers and onion. I also added garlic powder.
Nate
November 3, 2015 at 9:22 pmI browned some ground meat, added basil and Italian season, then added to to rest of ingredients in the crockpot!
Amber
November 1, 2015 at 11:06 amDo I need to use tomatoes? Could I use something else? I have a little one with a tomato allergy.
Stacy
September 18, 2015 at 1:15 amCan you use something else besides cream cheese?
Anonymous
November 15, 2015 at 10:33 amMaybe goat cheese
Mary
May 25, 2015 at 7:35 pmIs there a reason to add spinach at the beginning? It takes 5 minutes to cook it.
Anonymous
February 11, 2016 at 1:40 pmI used a bag of frozen spinach, so the full 4 hours worked well.
AmyNewNostalgia
February 18, 2016 at 5:38 pmThat is a great idea!
megan
March 15, 2015 at 8:15 pmHow many servings is this?
colleen
March 5, 2015 at 10:28 amI am subbing heavy whipping cream at the end instead of cream cheese. Should work out well
Suzy
March 3, 2015 at 3:04 pmMade in a Dutch oven in one hour. Heated diced tomatoes and cream cheese first to blend o. Medium high heat. Stir frequently. Add all other ingredients except tortillini and simmer covered on medium for 45 minutes. Tortellini last 15 min. Done. Serve with garlic bread.
Shelby
September 2, 2015 at 8:11 amThank you so much! This perfect and exactly what I was looking for when I checked the comments.
Carrie
February 15, 2015 at 9:17 amIs it possible to freeze this once it is made?
Mark
February 26, 2016 at 10:35 amI have made this several times and frozen the leftovers. (I usually double the recipe since I like to have it to thaw out for a quick meal after a long day). It froze, thawed, and reheated very nicely.
Janna Rainey
January 25, 2015 at 12:53 pmCan this cook on low for longer than 5 hrs?
I leave at 7:30am and get home at 5:30pm. Sometimes crockpot recipes don’t work out because of the long amount of time.
Thanks!
Anonymous
February 3, 2015 at 8:55 amI bought a timer (like you use for lights) and use that to start the recipes later. I have tried this recipe before and it is great. I put the fresh pasta in when I get home as I like it firmer.
nicole
February 3, 2015 at 10:14 amPeople always suggest that to me but this suggestion leaves your food out at room temp until timer turns on. Not a good idea unless there is a crock pot that keeps food cold until timer goes on.
Anonymous
February 7, 2015 at 10:01 amYou could use a Frozen ingredient or two and they would work like ice packs on the other ingredients until the timer kicks on.
Mere
November 6, 2015 at 5:54 pmI have a We-Mo Crock-Pot for this very reason. It’s app controlled. 🙂
Anonymous
September 23, 2015 at 10:50 pmUse a timer and put ice in for liquid. .frozen broth
Susan
January 23, 2015 at 12:22 pmI am making this soup tomorrow, since it is to be cooler than usual here in Florida.
My family loves tortilli and this sounds wonderful. Thank you.
AmyNewNostalgia
January 23, 2015 at 1:04 pmEnjoy! So nice that it uses the crockpot so you won’t have to heat up the stove. Cuddle up during that cooler weather!
Aimee
January 20, 2015 at 1:56 pmCould you make this the night before and reheat or even just prep night before and plug in in morning or does it make things soggy?
henna
January 16, 2015 at 6:11 amWhat is the white stuff? Can you use something else instead on the vegetable stock? Preferably no stock at all?
Madena
August 10, 2015 at 12:38 pmI used half chicken broth (all I had at the time) and 2 cups roasted red pepper and tomato soup from trader Joe’s and it came out DIVINE!!!
I think adding some tomato soup instead would make it more robust if you didn’t want to use broth.
nicole
January 14, 2015 at 5:28 pmI want to add chicken. Since chicke and rice about the same time for cooking in a crock do you think I can add chicken to this first thing?
AmyNewNostalgia
January 15, 2015 at 9:21 amYes, I would think so. If you need the chicken to cook faster, cut it smaller.
Amy
July 28, 2015 at 4:51 pmI have made this dish with chicken. To cut back on the bacteria by adding raw chicken in the crockpot with other ingredients, I cooked my chicken in a skillet with olive oil and seasoned with salt, pepper and parsley. Once it was just about fully cooked I added it to the crockpot and let everything cook together except the pasta. That was added the last 30 mins of cooking time.
Melissa
January 9, 2015 at 4:00 pmI do this recipe on the stove in a Dutch oven. When the tortellini are cooked the meal is ready. But I always add 2 things of ground regular cooked sausage. My family believes we always should have meat with a meal so I incorporate it in the same pot. I also sauté an onion in the sausage and add baby ports Bella mushrooms. My family loves this meal.
Lacy
January 4, 2015 at 7:35 pmSuper easy! I loved it and it made a ton of lunches for the family this week! We needed something warm and filling with our negative temps!
Patty
January 3, 2015 at 12:36 pmSO, how would I cook this on the stove?
Traci
December 26, 2014 at 8:25 pmHow would you modify this to make it less soupy and more of a meal? Just less veggie stock?
Lynette
December 14, 2014 at 4:54 pmWas a HIT!! I made this for a soup party yesterday. Party started at 3pm I started soup at 9 am. I used 2 boxes of veg broth (8 cups) I stired soup a lot to help soften cream cheese which does look flakey for awhile so after 3 hrs I switched slow cooker to high, after 2 hrs on high cream cheese started to get creamier looking. For the last hour I put in a 1lb and a half of tortellini and switched slow cooker back to low. I kept all other ingredients the same as listed. Everyone enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing!!
Allison
December 11, 2014 at 3:34 pmSomeone made this for a work party and it was so yummy I came to find the recipe. I am going to make this soon! Thanks for a great recipe. FYI, she even made it with canned spinach and it was still yummy!
AmyNewNostalgia
December 12, 2014 at 9:30 amSo glad you liked it enough to ask for and seek out the recipe! Welcome!
Katy
December 4, 2014 at 11:11 pmI made this today for tonight’s dinner and it was amazing! I followed the suggestion and put the tortelini in for just the last hour, I also added raw Italian sausage with the rest of the ingredients and it was a huge hit!
Anonymous
November 28, 2014 at 12:40 pmThis stuff is good! I have made this several time and on the stove. Only I add hot sausage to mine. I cook it before hand,let it simmer until super tender , slice and add to soup.Adds a nice flavor.
Karey
November 27, 2014 at 5:20 pmOmg! I made mine for my Thanksgiving dinner and it came out so good! I actually added another cup of broth and used 1/3 less fat cream cheese… This is by far the easiest and tasty! Thank you Amy check out my Facebook to see the pictures! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Margaret
November 18, 2014 at 11:11 amHas anyone tried it what zucchini noodles? Wondering when I should add them?
Sammy
November 11, 2014 at 11:53 amI want to make this tonight, but I didn’t have time to put it in the crock pot. Could I just do it on the stove? If so how long do I cook it?
BrittyO
November 10, 2014 at 11:58 amDelish! I used fat free cream cheese and it blended well. No white chunks. This dish sort of reminds me of a creamy tomato soup with tortellini. Id recommend adding crumbled bacon on top if you have a meat and potatos man like I have.
Anonymous
November 5, 2014 at 6:37 pmI made this with 12oz dry cheese tortellini. I would not recommend using the dried kind. It soaked up every last bit of liquid and became more of a casserole.
Katie
November 5, 2014 at 9:32 amHas anyone used kale instead of spinach?
Anonymous
January 16, 2015 at 4:51 amI used kale and it was delicious!
stevie
November 4, 2014 at 9:33 pmIf I add sausage should I cook it first?
Jan
November 10, 2014 at 1:34 amYes, cook the sausage first. Brown the sausage and add it the last hour.
Valerie
November 3, 2014 at 1:01 pmCould you use frozen spinach? And do you think it could made on the stove instead of a crockpot??
Anonymous
November 8, 2014 at 4:31 pmI’ve made it on the stove and it still taste amazing =]
Dora
October 31, 2014 at 9:58 amI want to add Italian sausage. When should I add it.
Courtney
October 29, 2014 at 12:20 pmI’m in the process of making this and it seems really thin is it suppose to thicken I’ve had it on high for a little over 3 hours. Also will the cream cheese melt it’s not all melted yet is this normal?
AmyNewNostalgia
October 30, 2014 at 9:56 amThe cream cheese needs stirred in..it will eventually melt if you did not use non-fat cream cheese. I hope it thickened up for you!
Katie
October 26, 2014 at 10:46 amI made this last week was really good I added some sausage to it . It was on the sweeter side with all the cream cheess so the sausage help ballence it out in my option . It made a lot so I froze about half of it to have again this week and yes I would defiantly recomend adding thre pasta at the end .
Leslie
October 25, 2014 at 5:48 pmMade this tonight and it was amazing! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Melia
October 25, 2014 at 11:11 amCan this be cooked on high for two hours?
Alison
October 21, 2014 at 3:19 pmMine did not get creamy, the cream cheese stayed in chunks, tried running thru the food processor, turned green, runny, with tiny chunks of cream cheese. Pintrest fail…
Karly
November 5, 2014 at 10:46 amMy cream cheese stayed chunky too, which made the presentation poor. I was thinking maybe the cream cheese needed to be warmed before adding? Not sure
lauren
November 12, 2014 at 2:44 pmi made this successfully before and it was so good it was requested again, so im making it tomorrow. i used a regular block of cream cheese and stirred the heck out of it before serving. beforehand it was lumpy. afterward it mostly all integrated into the soup. is your crockpot newer? maybe its not getting hot enough? try letting the cream cheese get to room temp and putting it in in smaller bits. definitely not a fail recipe though!
Katie
October 14, 2014 at 12:33 pmI just put this in for tonight’s dinner. Hope it’s as good as it sounds . I’m waiting to add the tortellini as suggested . I’m thinking I should have gotten some sausage to add in it for my husband . Defiantly next time.
Samantha
October 13, 2014 at 2:28 pmCan you shorten the time to two hours on high heat?
Janelle
October 12, 2014 at 4:37 pmthis is about done in my crockpot- it has terrible tangy taste. I have no idea why- so dissapointed
Robyn
October 14, 2014 at 10:02 amThe canned tomatoes always taste tangy to me in soups. Try fresh, maybe that’ll work.
20 of the BEST Crockpot Soups!
October 11, 2014 at 1:15 pm[…] Cheesy Tortellini Soup – New Nostalgia […]
danielle provorse
October 10, 2014 at 9:45 pmWhat kind of seesoning did u add in the first picture, the green stuff
AmyNewNostalgia
October 11, 2014 at 12:21 amThe recipe calls for Italian style tomatoes. I didn’t have that on hand so I just added a bit of italian seasoning.
Silvia
October 9, 2014 at 1:01 pmI was wondering how many servings this recipe makes ?
Carmen Porche
October 8, 2014 at 5:24 pmI’ve made this several times as a casserole. I use Thai ginger broth,2 cans original Rotel,1 can fire roasted tomatoes(any flavor) I’ve used both fresh and frozen tortellinis and once mini raviolis! Fresh or frozen spinach also. Yes, if you like your tortellini more defined,then put it in the last hour or so along with the fresh spinach and cooked chicken strips but you can also use spicy sausage!!!! I serve it with thick garlic bread and it is always a hit!!!
Tara Pape
October 7, 2014 at 4:38 pmIm trying this tonight, but I’m adding kilbossa sausage.
Anonymous
September 29, 2015 at 9:51 pmkielbasa
morgan
October 7, 2014 at 2:23 pmCould you use Barilla dry tortellini instead of the frozen or refrigerated? I think it will be fine if I had it the last hour of cooking but wanted to get your thoughts on this. I also noticed no one else has asked!
AmyNewNostalgia
October 9, 2014 at 11:47 amYes, I think that would be just fine! If you try it, let us know how it goes.
lauren
November 12, 2014 at 2:45 pmothers say it sucks up all the liquid, so just be sure to compensate.
Sue
October 7, 2014 at 6:23 amhi,
My husband has a weird aversion to tortolini. I wonder, could this recipe be adapted to use mini ravioli instead?
AmyNewNostalgia
October 7, 2014 at 8:56 amOh yes, I’m sure that would be great. Add it in at the end.
Carmen Porche
October 8, 2014 at 5:26 pmI’ve used mini ravioli,and regular ravioli and it turns out good every time!
Felicia
October 6, 2014 at 6:04 pmJust made this . So simple and yet so good!!!!!!!!
Jessica
October 6, 2014 at 4:52 pmI just made this, came out so good. A couple changes… 1. I cooked the tomatoes, broth, cream cheese by itself on low most of the day. 2. I added a whole bulb of garlic. 3. I used my hand blender to blend the tomatoes garlic and cc halfway through the day. 4. Added chopped spinach and 1 bag meat 1 bag cheese tortellini one hour at the end. Very yummy
Maria H
February 16, 2015 at 5:51 pmI agree…adding in the spinach at the end (even after the tortellini) would keep the spinach from turning a yucky grey-green like mine has done this afternoon… 🙂
Rosa
October 4, 2014 at 5:06 pmIs this using frozen tortellini??
AmyNewNostalgia
October 5, 2014 at 8:53 pmYou can use frozen or that type in the refrigerator section. Either would work. I used refrigerated.
Anonymous
November 11, 2014 at 11:43 amif you use the refrigerated tortellini how long do you cook it for?
Alyssa
October 3, 2014 at 4:06 pmCan you make this the night before, and put it in the fridge and reheat it in the morning in the crockpot? I have an event at 9 am and don’t think I want to get up at 3am to make this.
Starla
September 29, 2014 at 1:37 pmhas anyone tried substituting Fage 2% greek yogurt for the cream cheese? I’m thinking that’d make it just as creamy but a tad healthier.
Chslsie
September 27, 2014 at 4:01 pmDid you actually use the whole box of veg. broth or just 4 cups of it?
AmyNewNostalgia
September 28, 2014 at 5:10 pm4 cups. I think my box was just about 4 cups. Give or take a little.
Erika
September 27, 2014 at 3:24 pmI am making this now (an hour left to go – just threw the tortellini in) and it doesn’t look anything like the picture. The cream cheese kind of separated so the broth looks like it has white flakes floating it instead of all mixed in and creamy. Did I do something wrong??
AmyNewNostalgia
September 28, 2014 at 5:10 pmHmm..try using a whisk to stir in the what specks. Is the soup hot enough? It should melt in. I wonder if cream cheese brand has anything to do with it. I’m sure some add different ingredients to their cream cheese. I hope it turns out!
Kelley
September 30, 2014 at 10:42 amIf you use low-fat or fat free cream cheese, it tends to not melt as well and incorporate into broth.
Erika
September 30, 2014 at 7:26 pmThanks guys! Once the tortellini cooked and I mixed it all up it blended a lot better. It was DELICIOUS! Though I feel like next time I will use chicken broth instead in veggie. I ended up adding more salt and garlic to it so it all worked out. Made great left overs too. Oh, and I used meat torts instead of cheese. =)
AmyNewNostalgia
October 2, 2014 at 12:17 pmSo glad to hear it came together! Thanks for the update.
Anonymous
September 27, 2014 at 3:18 pmI just made this today (about an hour left to cook) and it looks nothing like the picture?? The cream cheese sort of separated so it looks like broth with white flakes floating in it? What did I do wrong? I was hoping for a creamy, tomoato-y soup. I hope it still tastes ok!
Allison
September 24, 2014 at 6:33 pmThis sounds delicious! I am thinking of making it with chicken broth instead of vegetable. Have you made it that way before ?
AmyNewNostalgia
September 25, 2014 at 11:14 amI think chicken broth would be just fine. Enjoy!
Beth
September 22, 2014 at 5:18 pmI made this tonight and added half of a medium size bag of baby spinach and cut it up some before adding it in. I also added Italian sausage raw, 1/2 tsp of garlic salt, a couple light shakes of crushed red pepper, and added the tortellini at the end on low for an hour. I love this recipe and will definitely be making it again.
AmyNewNostalgia
September 28, 2014 at 5:12 pmSo glad you liked it! Fun to read your additions.
Amy
September 20, 2014 at 8:49 amLooks yummy but I have two questions:
First, love the idea of adding sausage. Would you put it in cooked or raw?
Second, my husband isn’t a huge fan of creamy sauces. Do you think we could do this without the cream cheese and have it be more of a tomato based broth?
Thanks!
ELiza
October 21, 2014 at 8:51 pmI just made this. Since my roommate does not like tomatoes, I used tomato puree and I added some Italian sausage (cooked). I also used 5 cups of chicken broth and added some garlic.
I left it on high for 4 hrs and it was perfect.
Next time I will wait to add the tortellini, it was a bit soft for my taste.
Trisha Louise
September 15, 2014 at 9:19 pmIf I were to use fresh Roma tomatoes instead of canned, about how many would you say I should use?
AmyNewNostalgia
September 16, 2014 at 11:56 amI found this– hope it helps! http://www.finecooking.com/articles/substituting-canned-tomatoes.aspx I personally would just blend up the tomatoes until chunky and equals 4 cups. 8 oz in a cup, so 30 oz would be about 4 cups.
Holly
September 14, 2014 at 6:32 pmVery delicious! My only suggestion would be to wait to put in the tortellini. Mine got very mushy. Next time I make it, I’m going to put all ingredients in crockpot and not put tortellini in until there’s 1 hour left. I like my tortellini al dente.
Thanks for the recipe!
Stacy
September 14, 2014 at 3:29 pmDo you drain the tomatoes first? Or, do you all the while can, liquid and all?
AmyNewNostalgia
September 14, 2014 at 8:11 pmNo, don’t drain. Add entire contents of can.
Nikita
September 14, 2014 at 1:39 pmI’d love to add chicken. What do you think? Should I brown it first or just do raw chunks?
AmyNewNostalgia
September 14, 2014 at 8:12 pmAdding chunks of chicken breast would be fine,just let it cook through.
Lori
September 10, 2014 at 1:25 pmI, like Meghan above, would love to know if this can be prepared and frozen ahead of time?
AmyNewNostalgia
September 10, 2014 at 3:04 pmI’m not sure. The tortellini are pretty fragile, I’m afraid freezing and defrosting would make them mush. Let me know if you try it!
Meghan
September 4, 2014 at 1:43 pmCan this be prepared and freezed
Kathy
September 1, 2014 at 3:02 pmI like my soup thicker so I added tomato paste but after tasting it soon before it was done, it was rather bland for my taste. I had to add seasoning salt, garlic and onion powder.
Tina
August 25, 2014 at 11:55 pmI made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! My only complaint is that the Tortellini was a little on the mushy side. Has anyone else had this problem? If so is there anything I can do different to prevent this? otherwise we really love this recipe and would love to continue to making it. Thanks!
Shana
August 27, 2014 at 1:13 pmI’m going to put the tortellinis in the last hour so they don’t get mushy.
AmyNewNostalgia
September 4, 2014 at 9:45 pmI think this is a great idea. Thanks for the suggestion.
Anne
August 31, 2014 at 10:44 amAmy, try adding the tortellini an hour after the rest of the ingredients, just as you would with veggies that cook more quickly. Hope this helps!
Anne
August 31, 2014 at 10:46 amSorry, I meant Tina.
AmyNewNostalgia
September 4, 2014 at 9:46 pmanother reader suggested adding the tortellini during the last bit of cooking. I’m going to try that. I found different brands of tortellini cook differently, so this is a great suggestion to avoid any mush.
Kristen
August 13, 2014 at 3:37 pmdo you think i could use another pasta? its hard to find gluten free tortellini.
AmyNewNostalgia
August 18, 2014 at 10:42 amYes. Use whatever you have. The sauce has enough flavor that you won’t miss the cheese in the tortellini
Kelly
August 4, 2014 at 2:31 pmI made this last week and it was delicious! Rave reviews from my family (especially my 5 year old). The only thing I did different was add sweet Italian turkey sausage (I cut the sausages in chunks) right into the crockpot. Next time I’ll spray the sides of the crockpot with nonstick cooking spray because some of the tortellini did stick to the side. Great recipe, thanks for sharing!
Kika
June 16, 2014 at 9:55 amHow many people is this serving? Trying it tonight but thinking a double batch might be what I need.
Kristin
June 30, 2014 at 12:30 amI just made this tonight, and I doubled mine…my crockpot was FULL! I would say a single batch would serve 4-6.