Slow Cooker Creamy Veggie Tortellini Soup

Like most busy moms, I love using my slow cooker to prepare dinners. I’ve recently grown particularly fond of making soups in my slow cooker. This is because my oldest kiddos have become a little picky when it comes to vegetables. They simply aren’t eating them with the enthusiasm they once did.

Soups are an exception. For some reason, they don’t seem to mind the veggies contained in soups. Thus, when I came across a recipe for a veggie-rich tortellini soup, I knew I had to try it!

Ingredients

(Inspired by this recipe.)

• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup chopped or shredded carrot
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 can or carton (14 oz.) diced tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
• Several dashes of salt and pepper
• 1 package (16-18 oz.) frozen cheese tortellini
• 8 oz. garden vegetable cream cheese spread, cut into 1-inch cubes

Instructions

Place the chicken broth, veggies, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a slow cooker. Cook on high for two hours.

Add the frozen tortellini and cream cheese spread. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. Yield: 6 servings.

Notes

If you have time to chop a few veggies, then you have time to make this recipe. It really doesn’t take much time or effort to prepare, which is one thing I love about it! Of course, I also love that it contains vegetables. The veggies, chicken broth, and cheese tortellini go very well together. In fact, you could probably leave out the cream cheese, but I love the flavor that it adds! If you can’t find vegetable cream cheese spread at the store, then you can make your own (see a recipe here) or you can use regular cream cheese. Be sure to cut the cream cheese into 1-inch cubes before adding it and stir the soup occasionally as it cooks. This ensures that it integrates well into the soup.

So far I’ve only made this soup using the veggies listed above, but someday I will also add spinach or kale. I may also try adding some squash, green beans, or broccoli. You know your family members, so you can withhold and add veggies to suit their taste preferences.

Have you made any veggie-rich soups lately? I’d love to hear about them!