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Creamy Tomato Soup gets a cozy upgrade in this slow cooker version, with a velvety San Marzano tomato base, melty cheese tortellini, and a tangy swirl of goat cheese. I threw it together on a freezing weeknight and the girls slurped every drop before I could grab a photo. Serve it with crusty bread, or alongside our white chicken chili for a soup night.
The slow cooker does almost all the work, so it is the ultimate fuss-free comfort dinner.
Creamy Tomato Soup Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 8 hours
- ⏳ Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 10 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 263kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Rich, creamy, and tangy with sweet tomato and savory goat cheese
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy and hands-off, like our slow cooker chili
Quick Answer
Add canned tomatoes, Italian herb paste, smashed garlic, chicken stock, and some half and half to the slow cooker and cook until the flavors meld. Blend it smooth with an immersion blender, then stir in a quick butter-and-flour roux with the rest of the half and half. Finish by adding goat cheese and cheese tortellini and cook until the pasta is tender and the cheese melts. The result is a rich, creamy tomato soup that eats like a full meal.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- San Marzano tomatoes are the secret. Starting with good canned tomatoes gives the soup a naturally sweet, deep flavor without a lot of work.
- The slow cooker melds everything. Low and slow cooking lets the garlic, herbs, and tomatoes meld into a soup that tastes like it simmered all day.
- A roux makes it luxuriously creamy. Whisking the half and half into a quick butter-and-flour roux thickens the soup so it is rich and velvety, never watery.
- Goat cheese adds a tangy edge. Stirring in goat cheese gives the soup a subtle tang and extra creaminess you do not get from plain cream.
- Tortellini turns it into dinner. Cheese tortellini bulk it up into a complete, satisfying meal in a bowl.
- Blend, then add the extras. Blending the base before the pasta and cheese go in keeps the texture smooth and the tortellini perfectly tender.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The slow cooker does the heavy lifting for a cozy, hands-off dinner.
- The tortellini makes it hearty enough to serve as a full meal.
- It is a cozy, hands-off dinner, the same set-it-and-forget-it ease as our award-winning slow cooker chili.
Key Ingredients
Pantry staples plus a couple of special touches turn into the coziest bowl of soup. Here is what you will need.
- Canned Tomatoes: A mix of peeled (San Marzano if you can) and crushed tomatoes builds a sweet, rich base.
- Half and Half: Makes the soup luxuriously creamy; some goes in the slow cooker and some into the roux.
- Goat Cheese: Melts into the soup for a tangy, extra-creamy finish.
- Cheese Tortellini: Cooks right in the soup and turns it into a hearty meal.
- Garlic and Italian Herb Paste: Bring savory, herby depth to the tomato base.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Easy ways to tweak this soup to your taste.
- Keep it classic: leave out the tortellini and goat cheese for a smooth, simple creamy tomato soup that is perfect for dunking grilled cheese.
- Add protein: stir in cooked Italian sausage or shredded chicken to make it an even heartier meal, like our Italian meatball soup.
- Make it vegetarian: use vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock.
- Lighter version: swap the half and half for whole milk, though it will be a touch less rich.
- Spice it up: add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little warmth.
How to Make Creamy Tomato Soup
- Add the peeled tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, Italian herb paste, salt, smashed garlic, chicken stock, and 1 cup of the half and half to the slow cooker. Stir, cover, and cook on high for 2 to 4 hours (or low for 4 to 8 hours).
- About 45 minutes before serving, use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth.
- In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and whisk in the flour. Cook for 2 minutes, then slowly whisk in the remaining half and half and bring to a simmer.
- Stir the cream mixture into the slow cooker along with the goat cheese and tortellini. Cook for 30 more minutes until the tortellini are tender and the cheese has melted. Serve hot with extra goat cheese on top.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use good canned tomatoes. San Marzano tomatoes make a noticeable difference in sweetness and depth.
- Blend before adding extras. Use an immersion blender to get the tomato base silky smooth before the tortellini and cheese go in, so the texture stays creamy.
- Do not overcook the tortellini. Add it in the last 30 minutes so it stays tender, not mushy.
- Adjust the consistency. If the soup is thicker than you like, thin it with a splash more stock or cream.
- Taste and balance. A tiny pinch of sugar can round out the tomatoes if they taste too acidic.
- Reheat gently. Warm leftovers low and slow, adding a little stock since the tortellini soaks up liquid as it sits.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This soup is a full meal on its own thanks to the tortellini, but a hunk of crusty bread or a slice of sheet pan pizza on the side never hurts.
Make it a soup night spread with our lasagna soup or a pot of white chicken chili so everyone can pick a favorite.
Top each bowl with extra crumbled goat cheese, a swirl of cream, fresh basil, or a few cracks of black pepper to make it feel special.
Leftovers keep beautifully, so ladle some into jars for easy lunches all week. Just note the tortellini will soak up broth as it sits, so add a splash of stock when you reheat.
Creamy Tomato Soup FAQs
Yes. Simmer the tomatoes, garlic, herb paste, stock, and 1 cup of half and half in a pot for about 30 minutes, blend smooth, then stir in the roux, goat cheese, and tortellini and cook until the pasta is tender. It is faster but just as creamy.
Absolutely. Skip the tortellini for a smooth, classic creamy tomato soup that is perfect for dipping grilled cheese. It is delicious either way.
Cream cheese or a splash of heavy cream both work for a milder, less tangy soup. Goat cheese just adds that signature tang and extra creaminess.
Store cooled soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stove and add a splash of stock, since the tortellini will absorb liquid as it sits.
The tomato base freezes well for up to 3 months, but cream-based soups can separate slightly when thawed. For best results, freeze the base before adding the cream, cheese, and tortellini, then finish it fresh.
Crusty sourdough, a buttery grilled cheese, or warm garlic bread are all classics for dunking. A gooey grilled cheese cut into soldiers is the most nostalgic choice, but the cheese tortellini already makes this version hearty enough to stand on its own as a full meal. Warm crusty bread is perfect for scraping the bowl clean.
Craving more cozy bowls? Simmer up our hearty Italian meatball soup next.
For another cozy bowl, ladle up our sweet and creamy corn chowder.
Add our cozy sausage potato soup to your cold weather soup rotation.
Warm up with our Butternut Squash Risotto, a creamy one-pot dish loaded with sweet squash and parmesan.
Cozy up with our French onion soup on the next chilly evening.
Craving something heartier? Our slow simmered beef chili recipe fills that bowl.
For DIY pantry lovers, our homemade onion soup mix takes 2 minutes and beats the packet.
When you want cozy with a kick, our Thai red curry soup delivers creamy heat.
Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 28 oz can peeled tomatoes I suggest getting the San Marzano tomatoes when possible!
- 14 oz crushed tomatoes
- 2 Tbls Italian Herb Paste The kind in the grocery section, or fresh basil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 4 clove garlic smashed
- 4 Cups 32 oz box chicken stock
- 2 Cups half and half divided
- 3 Tbls butter
- 1/4 Cup all purpose flour
- 2 oz goat cheese plus more for garnish
- 9 oz fresh tortellini I used cheese, use what you like!
Instructions
- Place the tomatoes, herb paste, salt, garlic, chicken stock, and 1 cup of the half and half into the slow cooker. Stir to combine, place on the lid and cook on high heat for 2-4 hours (4-8 hours on low). If you are home while this is cooking, stir every 30 minutes or so. 45 minutes before serving, use an immersion blender, blend until smooth.1 28 oz can peeled tomatoes
- In a medium-sized skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and add in the flour. Whisk until there are no lumps and continue to cook while whisking for 2 minutes. Slowly, pour in the remaining half and half while whisking. Let come to a simmer while continuing to whisk. Place into the slow cooker and stir to combine. Add in the goat cheese and tortellini, stir to combine and cook for an additional 30 minutes, until the tortellini are cooked through and the cheese has melted.1 28 oz can peeled tomatoes
- Serve with more goat cheese as a garnish if desired, enjoy!1 28 oz can peeled tomatoes
Video
Notes
- If you don’t own an immersion blender, you can dump the soup into a blender and blend that way and the place back into the slow cooker.
- Adding the pasta the last 30 minutes of cooking ensures that your pasta is still semi firm and is not mushy.
- If you are not a fan of goat cheese, you can replace it with another kind of soft cheese that you enjoy.
- We like to enjoy dipping crispy bread into this so a baguette would be a nice side for this soup.
- If you like meat added to your tomato soup you can replace the cheese tortellini with meat if you can find it.
Nutrition
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Jaques Pepin made a “Red Soup” like this with red peppers added. It was delicious, then I lost the recipe. He recently recommended using water rather than chicken stock which may overpower the tomato flavor.
Mouth watering delicious. Thank you for sharing. Aussie winter coming along down here, so it will be soup n a chunk of bread weather.
Veggie stock!
Sounds wonderful! But is there a chicken stock substitution for Lent?
This looks like something you’d find on Panera Bread’s menu! And I love that you make it in a slow cooker. Perfect for these snowy winter days we’re having!
This sounds so good for a cold night. Especially the next several nights with temps in the negatives. Thanks for sharing over at the Snickerdoodle Sunday.
This looks so delicious I can almost taste it! I love the convenience of slow cooker cooking.
Love this recipe. I’m about to buy a slow cooker because everyone seems to love them so much so I’m bookmarking this. I LOVE tomato soup on a cold day!
Dana, thanks so much for sharing this recipe with us over at Let’s Get Real. This soup looks really delicious…easy to make and wonderful ingredients. Your recipes are some of my favorites. I can’t wait to try this one.