Creamy Slow-Cooker Tortellini Soup
Shared with me by: Vaya J (former co-worker)
The homemade spaghetti sauce is worth making.
Ingredients
- 6 cups of your favorite homemade meaty Spaghetti Sauce or 24-32 oz. jar prepared (no meat) spaghetti sauce with ½ lb. browned ground sirloin and ½ lb. browned Italian sausage (pork or turkey links - sweet or hot, casings removed)
- ½ bag (4.5 oz.) fresh spinach leaves, stems removed and roughly chopped
- 4 c. chicken broth or stock (Kitchen Basics)
- 8 oz. Neuftachel cream cheese, or regular cream cheese (low-fat is fine) - see note
- 8 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms (if not using my homemade sauce)
- 16 oz. frozen cheese tortellini
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, garnish
Instructions
Combine spaghetti sauce (and cooked meat if using jarred sauce), spinach, Neuftachel cream cheese, chicken broth or stock and mushrooms in a 6 qt. slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.
Twenty minutes before serving, turn heat to high if it isn’t already and stir in frozen tortellini. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until tender and hot.
Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.
NOTE: There may be specs of unmelted cream cheese while cooking. It will eventually melt if you stir or whisk the soup often while cooking. Using cream cheese at room temperature also helps the cheese melt more smoothly.