This slow cooker soup is perfect for a weeknight meal. First onions and carrots are cooked in a skillet with garlic. Then the vegetables are added to a slow cooker. Next canned tomatoes, vegetable broth, sugar, dried basil and a bay leaf are stirred with the vegetables. After cooking for several hours, then cheese tortellini is added during the last fifteen minutes. The bay leaf is removed, then half and half and Parmesan cheese is stirred in before serving.
Course
Entree
Prep Time25minutes
Cook Time6hours15minutes
Servings12people
Ingredients
2tbspolive oil
1medium onionchopped
3medium carrotschopped
5garlic clovesminced
3cans(28 oz each) crushed tomatoes, undrained
32ozcarton vegetable stock
1tbspsugar
1tspdried basil
1bay leaf
3packages(9 oz each) refrigerated cheese tortellini
¾cuphalf and half cream
Shredded Parmesan
Minced basil
Instructions
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrots, cook and stir until crisp tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer.
Transfer to 6 or 7 quart slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, broth, sugar, basil and bay leaf. Cook, covered, on LOW until vegetables are tender, 6 to 7 hours.
Stir in tortellini. Cook, covered, on HIGH for 15 minutes. Reduce to LOW, stir in cream until heated through. Discard bay leaf. Serve with Parmesan cheese and basil.
Recipe Notes
If freezing, freeze in container before adding half and half. Heat in sauce pan, stirring occasionally. Once heated, stir in half and half.