Slow Cooker Tortellini Sausage Potato Soup

This slow cooker tortellini sausage potato soup is so easy to make…and so uniquely delicious! There’s no other soup quite like it. I get asked for the recipe every time I make it! 

Well, I’ve officially made this slow cooker tortellini sausage potato soup every week for the last three weeks. Once just for our family. Another time for a large gathering at our house all in the name of football. And lastly as a take-in meal for my neighbor. 

It’s so good, you guys. And totally unlike any other tortellini soup (and slow cooker soup, for that matter) that I’ve seen out there on the world wide web. In a million years, I probably never would have paired these ingredients together in a soup. And I certainly wouldn’t have thrown it all in the slow cooker. 

But thank goodness someone decided to do both. 

I was pretty excited when Jana, a MKC reader, emailed me about this “favorite soup of hers” recipe. I was intrigued from the beginning! Since I’m me, I couldn’t help changing up a bunch of things, but the end result is a crazy delicious soup! Also (sidenote), have I mentioned how much I love it when you guys send me the recipes? It’s seriously like Christmas morning for me. The best. 

If you’re looking to take your soup game up a notch, this slow cooker tortellini sausage potato soup (with spinach, don’t forget!) is exactly what you need. In a lineup of soups at your next church function or neighborhood potluck, it’s going to get some serious attention. Creamy soups always do, have you noticed that? 

Plus, hello, tortellini! Those soft little pillows filled with cheesy goodness are just one part of what makes this soup spectacular. 

Every time I’ve served this over the last few weeks, I’ve gotten requests for the recipe. It’s just that kind of soup. Different enough to make you stop and think about it seriously, but delicious enough to almost make you lose your mind until you realize you’re on your third bowl and don’t know whether to be embarrassed or just straight up own it. 

The best part of it all is that other than peeling half a dozen potatoes and browning some sausage, it couldn’t be easier. 

I like using a variety of sweet potatoes AND Yukon Gold/yellow potatoes, but you could definitely use all of one or the other. Those sweet potatoes give such a delicious contrast to the cheesy, salty flavor of the tortellini (and the spicy flavor of the sausage, if you’re using a kicky variety). 

And there’s just enough spinach in there to make us all feel better about having a few carbs in our lives. 

I’ve given some other suggestions/variations in the notes below the recipe, so make sure to read the recipe and notes fully before making!

Also, if you are curious, I haven’t tried making this in the Instant Pot, but if you experiment, be sure to report back! I’m thinking a good starting place would be to cook the potatoes + broth + parsley + garlic on high pressure for 6-ish minutes, quick release, add the rest of the ingredients and cook on high pressure for another 2 minutes or so. 

I hope you love this one of a kind soup! Everyone around here agrees it’s definitely something special. 

One Year Ago: Turkey {or Chicken} and Brown Rice Soup {Instant Pot or Stovetop}
Two Years Ago: Buttery Fluffy Cornmeal Dinner Rolls
Three Years Ago: Holiday Pomegranate Guacamole
Four Years Ago: Perfect Pumpkin Pancakes
Five Years Ago: Apple Dapple Cake with Warm Vanilla Cream Sauce

Slow Cooker Tortellini Sausage Potato Spinach Soup

Yield: 6 Servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 6 hours hrs

Total Time: 6 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

4.74 stars (202 ratings)

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Ingredients

• 1 pound peeled, chopped sweet potatoes (about 2-3 medium potatoes)
• 1 pound peeled, chopped Yukon gold or yellow potatoes (about 3 medium potatoes)
• 3 cups chicken broth, I use low-sodium
• ½ tablespoon dried parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
• ½ to 1 pound ground sausage, regular or spicy, cooked and crumbled (grease drained)
• 9 to 12 ounce package cheese tortellini (see note)
• 2 cups half and half (see note)
• 2 to 3 handfuls fresh spinach, torn into pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions 

• To the insert of a 5- or 6-quart (or similar size) slow cooker, add the potatoes, chicken broth, parsley, and garlic. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours until the potatoes are tender.
• Leave the potatoes in chunks OR lightly mash them in the slow cooker until slightly chunky (I prefer mashing the potatoes lightly).
• Stir in the cooked sausage, tortellini, half and half, and spinach. Cook on high for 20-30 mins until the tortellini is tender. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper! The soup will thicken slightly as it cools (refrigerated leftovers will thicken quite a bit).

Notes

Potatoes: I like the variety of both types of potatoes in this recipe, but you could use all of one or the other. If using 2 pounds of sweet potatoes (and no Yukon gold or yellow potatoes), tasting and adding additional salt and pepper, if needed, is especially important as the potatoes will make the overall flavor sweeter.

Substitutions: you can use heavy cream in place of the half and half OR try using 2 cups milk blended or whisked with 1-2 tablespoons flour (for a lighter version).

Doubling the Recipe: I’ve doubled this several times in an 8-quart slow cooker. It’s full…but it works!

Tortellini: my go-to brand of tortellini is the Kirkland Five Cheese Tortellini at Costco. I definitely recommend refrigerated uncooked cheese tortellini vs the dried, shelf-stable variety in the pasta aisle.

Author: Mel

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Method: Slow Cooker

Serving: 1 Serving, Calories: 483kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 73mg, Sodium: 935mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 5g

Recommended Products

8-Quart Slow Cooker

Garlic Press

Liquid Measuring Cup

Recipe Source: inspired by a recipe a MKC reader, Jana D., sent me (thanks so much, Jana!) 

Other Recipes Like This:

Creamy Tuscan Tortellini Soup {Quick and Easy}

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Tortellini

Tortellini Sausage Soup

Smoky Lentil and Potato Soup {Pressure Cooker or Stovetop}