Ah, September. Back to school and back to the daily grind. I’m not sure how we arrived here (I feel like it should still be spring!), but here we are. Fall is upon us, which makes it a great time of year to dust off the ole’ slow cooker and pull out the crock pot recipe cards once more.
I personally love my slow cooker. I know that sometimes the slow cooker recipes can be old and tired..I’ve unfortunately experienced a few of those myself. This recipe though, is neither old or tired. It’s healthy, and bright, and full of fresh vegetables. And it’s super filling due to the addition of tortellini and crumbled Italian sausage.
To me, the best part is that you can prep ahead and toss most all of the ingredients into your slow cooker before you head out for work in the morning. When you return, your house will smell like tomatoes and onions and garlicky goodness. And the only task you’ll have left is to throw the tortellini and the spinach in to simmer. Ladle out the soup, and take the night off from the kitchen. Now that’s bliss!
This tomato-based soup is both kid-friendly and adult-approved. And guess what? The leftovers freeze well too!
I like to use alkaline spring water in my soup to provide added electrolytes and alkaline-rich minerals. My personal favorite alkaline water is TEN water. I love that it comes from natural springs, and I’ll admit I’m a bit biased, as the springs are located in none other than Virginia and Georgia! You can find TEN at Publix and Food Lion Supermarkets.
As always, we encourage you to make it your own! Want to vary up your veggies? Add in sliced mushrooms or large-diced bell peppers in the morning. Trying to fit some more kale in your diet? Sub it for the spinach! (Just be sure to remove the tough, fibrous stems.) If sausage isn’t your thing, just leave it out for a nice vegetarian soup. I’d recommend adding an extra teaspoon of Italian seasoning if you go the meat-free route. You’ll make up for some of the lost flavor from the sausage.
