Servings: 6

1 lb Italian sausage, browned 1 lb Italian sausage, browned
12 oz cheese tortellini 12 oz cheese tortellini
4 cups chicken broth 4 cups chicken broth
1 medium onion, chopped 1 medium onion, chopped
½ green pepper chopped (optional) ½ green pepper chopped (optional)
4 cloves of garlic, minced 4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 celery stalks, chopped (or 1-2 T celery flakes) 2 celery stalks, chopped (or 1 to 2 T celery flakes)
2 carrots, chopped 2 carrots, chopped
2 tsp chicken bouillon powder 2 tsp chicken bouillon powder
1 T Italian seasoning 1 T Italian seasoning
½ tsp salt ½ tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp black pepper
¼ cup water ¼ cup water
3 T cornstarch 3 T cornstarch
1 pint half and half 1 pint half and half
2 cups of fresh spinach chopped 2 cups of fresh spinach chopped

1. Place the browned sausage, onion, green pepper, carrots, celery, garlic, Italian seasoning, bouillon powder, salt, pepper, and broth in a 6-quart slow cooker bowl. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 7 hours.
2. Skim any fat that is sitting on the top of the soup with a spoon; discard. Mix the water and cornstarch and stir into the soup. Pour in half and half, then add the tortellini and mix well. Stir in chopped spinach. Cover again and cook on HIGH heat setting for a further 45 minutes until the soup has thickened, and the tortellini is soft and cooked through.