Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Soup with Tortellini

Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Soup with Tortellini will impress your friends and become a new family favorite!

I don’t want to create a “thing” with all my Italian friends out there BUT I have to admit that this may be the BEST Creamy Tomato Basil Soup in the entire universe. If you ask my youngest, she would agree because this is her favorite meal EVER! And, I just got back from Italy a few weeks ago and I must say, mine is as good (if not better) than what you can find across the Atlantic. But, I will put one caveat in there…my tortellini that are store bought (NO, I AM NOT MAKING HOMEMADE TORTELLINI!), are pretty lame compared to those that we found in Italy. 

As we are going full force ahead into the Fall season, temps are dropping and so is our desire to have warm soups on hand at all times. This is the perfect one to whip up for a cold day. It is a very mild soup so even the pickiest eaters will like it. What I find most enjoyable about this recipe is how I serve it in an “a la carte” way where I put the tortellini in the bowl and have the soup in a gravy ladle on the side so that I can pour it into each of the kids bowls. This is the fun part that they like the best. 

The recipe does have some versatility as well. If you choose to forgo the tortellini, you can serve it plain with a few croutons and basil on top for decoration and some warm crusty French bread. Also, mix up the type of tortellini you use. There are so many on the market so pick your family favorite! 

Here’s how it looks before the pouring. The best part about this is that if you have a picky eater, you can put on just a small amount of soup and they can tell you when to “SSTTOOPP!!!” At this point, you can remind them that it is the tomato soup that is bringing the copious amounts of Vitamin A and Vitamin C. It is the Vitamin C will help them avoid that pesky cold that may keep them on the sides lines of any sporting activity!

Now for the fun pouring part…(this pic makes it look a little boring but I like to make it really fun and bring the ladle up really high to see how high it can go without splashing…and I usually splash someone, so wear bibs!)

[bctt tweet=”Warm & Inviting…Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Soup with cheesy tortellini. Hungry Yet??!!” username=”MyMenuPal”]

Oh, Yummy…the finished product….

If you love this one and want some more slow cooker soup or chili recipes, try out a few of these:

Slow Cooker Chicken Ramen Noodle Soup

Slow Cooker Turkey, Lentil, White Bean Chili

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Basil Soup with Tortellini

5 from 1 vote

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Course Slow Cooker, Soups & Stews, Vegetarian & Vegan

Servings 8 servings

Calories 317 kcal

Ingredients

  

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• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic minced
• 1 3/4 cup carrots, diced (3 medium) (See Chef's Tips)
• 1 3/4 cup onion, diced (1 large) (See Chef's Tips)
• 2 28-oz cans whole tomatoes
• 1 32-oz carton lower sodium vegetable broth
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 16-oz tortellini
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• Parmesan shredded, for serving

Instructions

 

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté about one minute until fragrant. Add carrots and onion to the garlic and sauté about 3 to 4 minutes or until soft.
• Pour mixture into a 6-quart slow cooker. Add tomatoes, vegetable broth, basil, bay leaves, sugar, salt and pepper.
• Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
• While this is cooking, cook tortellini according to package directions and set aside. You can also pre-cook the tortellini, and then refrigerate until ready to eat.
• Remove bay leaves from slow cooker and stir in the cream. Puree the soup with an emulsion blender in the slow cooker or pour into a counter top blender and blend, making sure to vent one side of the blender so as not to burn yourself. This can be done in batches if needed. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
• Serve the soup poured over the tortellini and top with parmesan cheese and fresh basil, if desired

Notes

Chef’s Note: If you would like to cook the tortellini in the slow cooker, you can add it to the pureed soup in the slow cooker and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until the tortellini are finished.

 Simplify It:

• Use 1 tablespoon dried basil instead of fresh basil. Lesley made it both ways and thought they tasted the same.
• Buy frozen chopped onion and shoestring carrots to save some chopping time (and watery eyes!).

Mix It Up: Instead of using just cheese tortellini, use two different kinds of tortellini to mix it up a bit.

Kid-Friendly: Lesley likes to serve the tortellini separate from the soup for her family. She puts the tortellini by itself in a bowl and then at the table she will pour the soup directly over it from a pitcher. The kids think this is really fun like they are being served at a fancy restaurant!

Nutrition

Calories: 317kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 11gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 244mgFiber: 3gSugar: 9g

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