• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Get our Freezer Meal Quick Start Guide
freezer meal quick start guide

Get Our Freezer Meal Quick Start Guide

Loading

About
Free Resources
Contact

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

YouTube

TikTok

Thriving Home

Food & Lifestyle

  • Recipe Index
    • Course
      • Breakfast
      • Lunch & Dinner
      • Sides & Salads
      • Soups & Chilis
      • Appetizers
      • Snacks
      • Desserts
      • Baked Goods
      • Beverages
      • Condiments
    • Method
      • Freezer Meals
      • Stovetop
      • Oven
      • Slow Cooker
      • Instant Pot
      • Grill or Smoker
      • 6 Ingredients or Less
    • Diet
      • Gluten-Free
      • Dairy-Free
      • Vegetarian
    • Ingredients
      • Chicken & Turkey
      • Beef
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Pasta & Pizza
    • Holiday
      • Birthday
      • Christmas
      • Easter
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
      • Valentine's Day
    • All Recipes
  • Freezer Cooking
    • Start Here
    • Freezer Meal Recipes
    • 1 Hour Freezer Prep
    • Cookbooks
  • Menu Plans
  • Shop
    • Cookbooks
    • 1 Hour Freezer Prep
    • Shop Our Favorites
    • Gift Guides
Search...
Home 6 Ingredients or Less

Creamy Sausage & Tortellini Soup

★★★★★ 5 /5
Jump to Recipe Rate Recipe
Polly Conner
By: Polly ConnerPosted: 11/3/22Updated: 5/11/23

This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Every bite is packed with delicious flavors in this 6-ingredient Sausage Tortellini Soup. With the help of the Crock Pot, this recipe comes together fast and easy. A total crowd-pleaser!

Sausage and tortellini soup in a white bowl

Ingredients Needed

As mentioned above, this recipe only has 6 ingredients!

  1. Ground Italian pork sausage – You can sub turkey or chicken sausage.
  2. Petite-diced, Italian-style tomatoes – If using plain diced tomatoes, add a dash of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and dried basil to the soup.
  3. Low-sodium chicken broth – Here is how to make your own broth.
  4. Fresh Spinach – Kale would work instead.
  5. Frozen cheese tortellini – You could sub gluten-free tortellini or bowtie pasta.
  6. Cream cheese – Get the block so you can cut it into cubes. Also, don’t use low-fat.
Ingredients for sausage and tortellini soup

Want More 6-Ingredient Recipes?

If you like the super simple recipes like this, be sure to browse all of our 6 Ingredients or Less recipes!

See Them All

How to Make Creamy Sausage and Tortellini Soup

Brown the Sausage

In a large skillet, brown the sausage over medium-high heat until there is no more pink showing, about 4 minutes. Drain any excess grease.

sautéing ground sausage in a cast iron skillet

Add Ingredients to Crock Pot

Add the sausage, diced tomatoes (juices and all), and chicken broth into a 5 quart or larger slow cooker. Stir to combine.

Slow cooking sausage and tortellini soup

Cook the Soup

Cover and cook the soup on LOW for 6-8 hours. You can also cook it on HIGH for 3-4 hours.

Slow Cooker Cooking Times Chart

Snag our 1 page cheat sheet and never overcook (or undercook) a Crock Pot meal again!

Download Now

Loading

Add the Tortellini and Spinach

Turn the temperature to high. Stir in the frozen tortellini.

Adding frozen tortellini to the soup in a crock pot

Next, stir in the chopped spinach.

adding spinach to the sausage and tortellini soup

Replace the lid, and cook for about 30-45 more minutes, until warmed through.

Prep the Cream Cheese Mixture

While the tortellini and spinach are cooking, it’s time to prep the cream cheese for the soup. Note: If you skip this step, the cream cheese won’t melt in, leaving you with little specks of cream cheese in the soup. While the taste is still good, it’s not very appealing.

  1. Place the cream cheese in a glass or ceramic bowl. Microwave in 10-second increments until softened, stirring in between. (Or use this water bath method.)
  2. Use a ladle or measuring cup to add a little of the hot soup liquid to the cream cheese.
  3. Stir until fully combined and smooth.

This is the same method for tempering eggs so you don’t scramble them when adding to a hot dish. It works to prevent the curdling of cream cheese too! You can see pictures of these steps below.

a bowl with softened cream cheese in it
Mixing cream cheese and soup broth together
Mixed cream cheese and soup broth together

Add it all Together!

Stir in your cream cheese mixture and gently stir it until all the cream cheese has liquified. It should be smelling SO good! The cream cheese will continue to melt in and the soup will thicken as it sits.

Stirring in the cream cheese mixture to crock pot

Can I Freeze Sausage and Tortellini Soup?

While we have loads of delicious Crock Pot Freezer Meals, this recipe isn’t an ideal one for the freezer. The tortellini wouldn’t play nice being cooked, frozen, and then thawed.

If you’re determined to find a way to make this a freezer meal, you could follow steps 1 and 2. Don’t cook the soup though. Freeze it alongside the tortellini and have fresh spinach when serving.

Cookes sausage and tortellini soup in a crock pot

What to Serve with Creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup

cobb salad on a white plate with yellow napkin

My Favorite Cobb Salad

roasted broccoli on a baking sheet

Oven Roasted Broccoli

Cheddar Biscuits

shaved brussels sprout salad

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

Sausage and tortellini soup in a white bowl with baguette
bbq chicken sliders

10+ Easy Weeknight Crock Pot Recipes

If you love the simplicity of this recipe, you will love this roundup we’ve put together. We’ve handpicked our 10+ easiest slow cooker meals and put them all in one place for you. Check it out!

Browse the Recipes
A spoon scooping some sausage tortellini soup from a bowl
Want the Best of the Best?

Top 5 Slow Cooker Recipes

Sign up and get 5 days of our most popular slow cooker recipes sent straight to your inbox.

Loading

Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

slow cooker sausage and tortellini soup
★★★★★ 5 from 5 reviews

Creamy Sausage and Tortellini Soup

Finally, a slow cooker recipe that is SUPER easy to make yet packed with flavor. The creamy goodness of this sausage tortellini soup is a win with all ages and makes for great lunch leftovers.

Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Prep: 15 minutesCook: 6 hoursTotal: 6 hours 15 minutes
Print Recipe Rate Pin for Later
  • Email
Units:
Scale:

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground Italian pork sausage (sub: turkey or chicken sausage)
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans petite-diced, Italian-style tomatoes, juices and all*
  • 1 (32-ounce) carton of low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
  • 1 (19 oz.) bag frozen cheese tortellini (sub: gluten-free tortellini or bowtie pasta)
  • 1 (8-ounce) block of cream cheese, cut into cubes (do not use low-fat)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

*If using plain diced tomatoes, add a dash of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and dried basil to the soup.

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions

  1. In a large skillet, brown the sausage over medium high heat until there is no more pink showing, about 4 minutes. Drain any excess grease.
  2. Add the sausage, diced tomatoes (juices and all), and chicken broth into a 5-quart or larger slow cooker. Stir to combine.
  3. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. Then, turn to HIGH. Stir in the spinach and frozen tortellini, replace the lid, and cook for about 30-45 more minutes, until warmed through (check a tortellini to make sure it’s warm in the middle).
  4. Place the cubes of cream cheese in a glass or ceramic bowl. Microwave in 10-second increments until softened, stirring in between. (Or use this water bath method.) Then, use a ladle or dry measuring cup to add a little of the hot soup liquid to the cream cheese. Stir until fully combined and smooth. Then, stir the cream cheese into the soup until blended smoothly.
  5. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve warm.

Equipment

Slow Cooker

Buy Now →
ladle

Ladle

Buy Now →
Can opener

Can Opener

Buy Now →

Chefs Knife

Buy Now →

Notes/Tips

Recipe Updates: On 10/5/22, we retested and updated this soup recipe so that it can work as an all-day slow cooker meal. We also wanted to make sure the spinach kept its color and the cream cheese melted well into the soup. We think this new method/recipe works much better!

Gluten-free option: Use gluten-free tortellini or bowtie pasta in Step 3. Check it sooner, to make sure it doesn’t get overdone.

© Author: Polly Conner
Cuisine: American Method: Slow Cooker

Did you make this?

Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

Rate Recipe

Tag Us on Instagram

138 shares
  • Share
  • Email
Polly Conner

Polly Conner

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Polly’s passionate about helping busy parents get dinner on the table. With a house full of kids, dogs, and (usually) a DIY project in the works, she knows firsthand how every minute (and every dollar) counts. As a business owner, she enjoys wearing multiple hats and serves best as a project manager for Thriving Home.

Read more...

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Submit your question or comment below.

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. AvatarMichelle Campbell says

    Posted on 2/12/23 at 10:03 pm

    Soup looks good and I know taste good; any food with that combination of ingredients would be in any person’s cravings?!.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 2/13/23 at 2:50 pm

      Thanks Michelle!

      Reply
  2. AvatarDale says

    Posted on 1/6/23 at 11:31 pm

    I only used half the cream cheese and this was perfect. Best part I didn’t feel woozy from the richness. This is a very easy recipe.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 1/8/23 at 4:21 pm

      So glad to hear this. Thank you for letting others know of the changes that worked for you!

      Reply
  3. AvatarAnna says

    Posted on 11/16/22 at 11:01 am

    Why does the recipe say “cook time: 5 hours”, but the directions say to cook for 6-8 hours??

    Reply
    • Rachel TiemeyerRachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 11/16/22 at 6:07 pm

      Thanks for catching that mistake. I just fixed it. Appreciate it!

      Reply
  4. AvatarMorgan says

    Posted on 10/20/22 at 7:06 pm

    I did this on the stove tonight instead of the slow cooker and substituted bow tie pasta and sour cream for the tortellini and cream cheese (my husband is weird and won’t eat cheese). It’s flavorful and hits the spot after a field trip to the pumpkin patch!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 10/21/22 at 9:45 am

      Hi Morgan! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review and let everyone know what substitutions worked for you.

      Reply
  5. AvatarRenee says

    Posted on 2/14/21 at 4:12 pm

    The broth in this soup is delicious and it’s such an easy dump and go meal. Very filling too with the pasta in it. It’s a family favorite for us!

    Reply
    • Rachel TiemeyerRachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 2/15/21 at 10:17 am

      Thanks for the feedback, Renee. Glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  6. AvatarJulianne says

    Posted on 9/28/20 at 8:01 am

    Do leftovers freeze? Making this this week!

    Reply
    • Rachel TiemeyerRachel Tiemeyer says

      Posted on 10/4/20 at 1:21 pm

      I would not suggest freezing the leftovers of this, since it includes pasta. Cooked pasta can get mushy and fall apart in the freezer. I hope you enjoy the soup!

      Reply
  7. AvatarLee Clark says

    Posted on 1/14/19 at 10:46 am

    Need quantities for chicken broth and tomatoes????

    Reply
    • RachelRachel says

      Posted on 1/17/19 at 1:02 pm

      I just updated the recipe to make it clearer. Sorry for the confusion, Lee.

      Reply
  8. AvatarKatherine Kelly says

    Posted on 8/9/18 at 1:00 pm

    My kids actually ate it! On purpose, without me nagging! Delicious, thanks for the ease and simplicity.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  9. AvatarDonna says

    Posted on 2/4/18 at 6:06 pm

    I made this soup for Superbowl and I didn’t allow myself enough time to use the crockpot, so I cooked it on the stove. I did make the following changes, I heated the chicken broth and melted the cream cheese and then added the cooked Italian sausage (I used turkey) , tomatoes and spinach. I simmered everything for 3 hours. I added the tortellini in the last 30 mins. DELICIOUS.. my husband had 3 bowls!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • RachelRachel says

      Posted on 2/6/18 at 10:52 pm

      Awesome! Glad to hear it was a hit!

      Reply

sidebar

polly and rachel

Welcome

We’re moms, cookbook authors, and freezer cooking evangelists. Our mission is to help your home thrive, one delicious meal at a time. Let’s make the most of your time in the kitchen! Read more.

Follow Us On Instagram!

freezer cooking

Order On:

Amazon • Target

Autographed Copy

Learn More

freezer to table

Order On:

Amazon • Target

Autographed Copy

Learn More
dump and go freezer meal email cta

Make 6 Dump-and-Go Freezer Meals in 1 Hour

  1. Shopping & equipment lists
  2. Step-by-Step instructions & video tutorial
  3. Serving suggestions & dietary substitutions & more

Try Session 18 (a $6.99 value) for free!

Loading

Trending Recipes

crock pot taco soup

Crock Pot Taco Soup

chicken nuggets dipped in honey mustard dipping sauce

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Cooked Honey garlic chicken kabobs on a white plate

Honey Garlic Chicken Kabobs

Grilling Recipes

seasoned cooked steak that is sliced on a wooden cutting board

The Perfect Grilled Steak

The Ultimate Grilled Chicken Sandwich

Finished shot of Cilantro lime chicken marinade - grilled chicken on a plate

Cilantro Lime Chicken Marinade

overhead shot of grillled peaches with balsamic drizzle

Jane’s Grilled Peaches

Popular Round-Ups

7 Chicken marinades side by side - 1

7 BEST Chicken Marinades

freezer meal

100+ Best Freezer Meals on the Planet

6 mason jars with various overnight oats in them

7 Overnight Oats Recipes

smoothie packs

7 Frozen Smoothie Packs (+ Printable with Shopping List)

freezer meal update
New to freezer cooking?

Grab Our Freezer Meal Quick Start Guide!

5 days of recipes & tips from freezer meal experts.

Loading

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

YouTube

TikTok

About
About Us
Work With Us
Press
Recipes
All Recipes
Freezer Meals
Menu Plans
Shop
Cookbooks
1 Hour Prep Sessions
Gift Guides
Explore
Free Resources
Shop Our Favorites
Facebook Group
Privacy Policy
Accessibility
Disclaimers
Contact
© 2023 Thriving Home
Site Credits
Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
Back to Top
138 shares