Slow-Cooker Creamy Tomato and Tortellini Soup

Prep 15 min
Total 3 hr 50 min
Servings 7

As they say, opposites attract. That’s certainly the case with sweet, acidic tomatoes and creamy dairy—in all its many forms. After all, it’s this better-together combination that makes lasagna so luxurious, pizza so mouthwatering and grilled cheese and tomato soup so irresistible. So when we set out to make an extra-easy slow-cooker soup, we knew we wanted it to feature this combo. But hold on—dairy in the slow cooker? That’s usually a less-than-ideal combination (dairy can easily curdle in the slow cooker). That’s why the trick to this recipe is waiting until the end to add the cream and cheesy tortellini. That’s right, we decided a double-dose of dairy would be the perfect complement to the tomatoes in this soup, and the result is rich, velvety and very comforting! And that’s not all, the dollop of fresh pesto adds bright, anise-tinged notes and the sprinkle of shredded Parmesan adds nutty richness that take this simple soup to the next level! MORE+ LESS-

By Betty Crocker Kitchens

Updated December 9, 2019

Make with

Progresso Broth

Ingredients

cans (28 oz each) Muir Glen™ organic fire roasted crushed tomatoes, undrained

1 1/2

cups Progresso™ chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)

1/2

cup finely chopped green onions, white parts only

cloves garlic, finely chopped

tablespoon sugar

1/2

teaspoon salt

1/2

teaspoon pepper

1/4

teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

cup heavy whipping cream

package (9 oz) refrigerated cheese tortellini

1/4

cup refrigerated basil pesto

1/2

cup shredded Parmesan cheese (2 oz)

Steps

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1

Spray 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In slow cooker, mix tomatoes, broth, green onion whites, garlic, sugar, salt, pepper and pepper flakes. Cover; cook on High heat setting 3 hours or Low heat setting 6 hours.
2

If cooking on Low heat setting, increase to High heat setting. Add whipping cream; cover and cook about 15 minutes or until hot.
3

Add tortellini; cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until tortellini is tender.
4

Divide among serving bowls; garnish with pesto and Parmesan cheese.

Onions can be tricky in the slow cooker; it’s difficult to get them cooked perfectly. That’s why we used green onions in this soup. They give a savory allium flavor, but they’re softer and so cook down more easily in the slow cooker.
In developing this recipe, we tried several types of store-bought pesto and tortellini. We found that refrigerated versions of both products were fresher and had better texture than the shelf-stable versions found in the dried pasta section of the grocery store. Homemade pesto would also be great in this recipe. If you have an herb garden, try Betty’s Classic Pesto recipe.
Shorter slow-cooker recipes—in the 3-hour range—have become unexpected favorites among Betty’s editors and recipe developers. The reason for that is they can make a hectic evening routine a lot easier. Throw this soup in the slow cooker before you pick up the kids from school, head to that evening meeting or run errands. When you get home and everyone’s starving—the slow cooker is ready and waiting with a completely cooked dinner!

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: About 1 1/2 Cups

Calories: 340
Calories from Fat: 180

% Daily Value

Total Fat: 20g; 31%
Saturated Fat 11g 55% Trans Fat 1/2g
Cholesterol: 75mg; 26%
Sodium: 940mg; 39%
Potassium: 115mg; 3%
Total Carbohydrate: 29g; 10%
Dietary Fiber 2g 9% Sugars 14g
Protein: 9g

% Daily Value*:

Vitamin A: 50%; 50%
Vitamin C: 2%; 2%
Calcium: 15%; 15%
Iron: 10%; 10%

Exchanges:

1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 2 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 3 1/2 Fat;