Crockpot Tortellini Minestrone Soup

One of the many great things about slow cooker soups is that the recipes make quite a few servings. You can enjoy it throughout the week for lunch or as an appetizer to your main meal!

This Crockpot minestrone soup recipe is fairly flexible and can easily be customized to suit pretty much whatever is taking up space in your produce drawer.

I like to add Italian sausage to this Crockpot tortellini soup, but if you omit the sausage and use different pasta then it’s vegan and vegetarian!

We love soup night in our house! Some other recipes you may also like are my Green Chicken Chili Soup, Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup, and Easy Italian Wedding Soup.

Ingredients you need

(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)

Here’s what you’ll need to make this slow-cooker minestrone soup:

• Italian sausage: I like the spicy/hot Italian sausage, but you can use your favorite.
• Crushed tomatoes: canned crushed tomatoes is an affordable pantry staple!
• Sun-dried tomato pesto (optional)
• Vegetable stock (or chicken broth)
• Beans: I used canned Kidney beans and great northern but you can use dried beans if you have the time to soak them.
• Zucchini: a great way to use up a seasonal vegetable
• Tortellini (or any small pasta of choice such as orecchiette, elbow or small shell pasta)

How to make Crockpot minestrone soup

(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)

To the insert of your Crockpot, add in the cooked Italian sausage, crushed tomatoes, pesto, potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, seasonings, and bay leaves. Then, stir in the vegetable stock and water. Cover and cook these ingredients for 6 to 8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.

Then, add in the kidney beans, great northern beans, zucchini, green beans, and spinach. Let the minestrone soup cook for another 20 minutes, then stir in the cooked tortellini and serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan.

How long does Crockpot minestrone soup need to cook?

Low for 6-8 hours or High for 3-4.

Can I add other veggies to this Crockpot tortellini soup?

Yes, minestrone soup is traditionally a soup made of mixed veggies and beans so you can play around with what you feel like adding to it! Potatoes, butternut squash, yellow squash, peas, etc. Have some fun in the kitchen.

Can I use a different type of pasta?

Yes, any type of other pasta noodle works. Orecchiette, elbow or small shell pasta would be particularly good. I like the little tube pasta for minestrone as well!

Can I freeze Crockpot minestrone soup?

Yes! Just be sure to leave the noodles out to the side. When you’re ready to eat, thaw the soup and add the tortellini in then.

How to make this minestrone on the stove:

1. Cook the Italian sausage until no longer pink, set aside on a plate or bowl.
2. In a large stockpot over medium heat, add in 1 Tbsp. olive oil and saute the carrots, onion, and celery for ~6-7 minutes or until fragrant, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning and stir another minute.
3. Add in the crushed tomatoes, pesto, potatoes, bay leaves, broth and water. Bring to a boil. Then turn heat down, cover and simmer ~10 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.
4. Add in the green beans, spinach, beans, zucchini and add the sausage back in. Stir, cover and cook for another 15 minutes.
5. Prior to serving add in cooked pasta of choice and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Can I make this as Instant Pot minestrone?

I have never made it in my Instant Pot but it can be done! Here’s how to make Instant Pot minestrone soup:

1. Start off by chopping all of your vegetables. (Or you can always buy pre chopped too!)
2. Next, press the SAUTE button on your instant pot and drizzle in some olive oil. Add the sausage and cook for ~2 minutes. Then add in the veggies and seasonings until fragrant. 
3. Stir in vegetable broth, water, tomatoes, potatoes, pesto and season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Press Cancel then put the lid on. Press the MANUAL (older models) or PRESSURE COOK (newer models) button and set for 5 minutes.
5. When the Instant Pot beeps, do a quick release by turning the valve to venting to release the pressure.
6. Once the pressure is released, press cancel and push SAUTE. Stir in the kidney beans, great northern beans zucchini and spinach and cook for 5-6 minutes, or beans are tender and cooked through. Stir in cooked off pasta of choice!

Tips for the best minestrone soup recipe

• I love adding the tortellini in right before we sit down to eat. If you add the noodles in while the Crockpot minestrone cooks, it tends to soak up the liquids and the noodles get mushy.
• You can use chicken or beef broth instead of vegetable broth if you don’t have any veggie broth on hand.
• You can also add a variety of different proteins, like ground turkey, Italian Sausage, ground beef, or lamb. Bacon, ham or sausage are also options. You can even make mini meatballs to go in the soup too! Or, maybe you have leftover chicken breast. Cube the chicken up and mix it in the soup!