Crockpot Tortellini Minestrone Soup
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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!
What is minestrone soup?
Minestrone soup is a thick Italian vegetable soup that typically includes ingredients like beans, onions, celery, and tomatoes. You often see rice or pasta added to minestrone soup as well (I opted to use tortellini in this slow cooker minestrone soup!).
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:
- Cook the Italian sausage until no longer pink, set aside on a plate or bowl.
- 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.
- 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.
- Add in the green beans, spinach, beans, zucchini and add the sausage back in. Stir, cover and cook for another 15 minutes.
- 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:
- Start off by chopping all of your vegetables. (Or you can always buy pre chopped too!)
- 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.
- Stir in vegetable broth, water, tomatoes, potatoes, pesto and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Press Cancel then put the lid on. Press the MANUAL (older models) or PRESSURE COOK (newer models) button and set for 5 minutes.
- When the Instant Pot beeps, do a quick release by turning the valve to venting to release the pressure.
- 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!
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Crockpot Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Italian sausage, cooked
- 3 large carrots (~1 1/2 cups), small dice
- 5 stalks celery (1 1/2 cups), chopped
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced (~ 2 1/2 tsp.)
- 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup sun dried tomato pesto, store bought (optional)
- 8 small/medium red potatoes or 3-4 small Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (~1 1/2 cups)
- 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups vegetable broth ((may sub chicken or beef broth))
- 2 cups water
- 1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz.) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 1/2 cups frozen baby spinach
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 1 cup frozen green beans
- 1 1/2 cups pasta (tortellini)* cooked (, or any small pasta cooked))
- salt and pepper to taste
- Parmesan cheese for garnish
Last step! 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
- Place the cooked Italian sausage, crushed tomatoes, pesto, carrots, potatoes, celery, onion, garlic, seasonings and bay leaves into the Crockpot.1 lb. Italian sausage, cooked, 3 large carrots (~1 1/2 cups), small dice, 5 stalks celery (1 1/2 cups), chopped, 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped, 5 cloves garlic, minced (~ 2 1/2 tsp.), 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes, 1/4 cup sun dried tomato pesto, store bought (optional), 8 small/medium red potatoes or 3-4 small Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (~1 1/2 cups), 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning, 2 bay leaves, salt and pepper to taste
- Add in the vegetable broth and water and stir. Cover and cook these ingredients on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.4 cups vegetable broth, 2 cups water
- After those 6-8 hours (or 3-4 hours), add in the kidney beans, great northern beans, zucchini, green beans, and spinach. Cook for another 20 minutes with the lid on.1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed, 1 (15 oz.) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed, 2 1/2 cups frozen baby spinach, 1 zucchini, diced, 1 cup frozen green beans
- Before serving, stir in the cooked tortellini or pasta of choice. *Optional to keep the noodles separate from the soup so they do not absorb all of the liquid. This is a good method to try with all soups that call for pasta! ๐1 1/2 cups pasta (tortellini)* cooked
- Garnish with parmesan right before serving. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. And that's it! Enjoy! For leftovers, please keep in mind you may need to add more broth or water the 2nd or 3rd day when reheating.Parmesan cheese for garnish
Video
Notes
- This recipe makes a full crock pot of soup for ~10-15 people depending on serving sizes.
- If you have leftovers, please keep in mind you may need to add in more broth or water the 2nd or 3rd day when reheating.
- Cook the Italian sausage until no longer pink, set aside on a plate or bowl.
- 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 for a minute.
- 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.
- Add in the green beans, spinach, beans, zucchini and add the sausage back in too. Stir, cover and cook for another 15 minutes.
- Prior to serving add in cooked pasta of choice and garnish with Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
OMG this soup was so good!!! I added Chick peas and loved it
What brand of tortillinis do you use? I have tried the dry ones from the pasta aisle and there actually not bad but there not my favorite. Just curious i know they have frozen ones which I havenโt tried yet and the precooked ones in the cheese aisle. I havenโt ever tried those ones. Which do you prefer????
Hi Lauren! I usually buy the precooked Buitoni three cheese tortellini in the refrigerated section at the store. ๐ Hope that helps. Enjoy!!
This recipe looks simple, great & flavorful, and nutritious! When your recipe states โcansโ I assume that is the 14.5 oz size can of everything, including the crushed tomatoes? (I have 29 oz cans of crushed tomatoes in my pantry and thought two of those would be too many.)
Hi Julie – yes the 1 29oz can would be sufficient! ๐ Enjoy!
What size cans of crushed tomatoes? Thanks
Hi Dana – 15 oz, or you can use 1 large can (28 oz) would be fine too! Thank you for stopping by my blog! ๐
Minestrone is the best! Love all the beany goodness!
Thank you!!:)
I do not envy the heat that you are living in… but I envy that you have this soup to eat!!!!
Haha! Thank you Katie!:)
It’s been 90+ degrees in SLO too! So crazy!! I want Fall weather and boots, scarves and crockpot meals like this :)) As soon as it gets colder I am SO adding this to my comfort food list!
Hope you loved it!
I’ve been on the hunt for something new to put in the crock pot. I like that you add the beans, pasta, and zucchini at the end so they don’t overcook. Trying this out next week.
Thank you so much! Mushy soups aren’t fun.