Slow Cooker 5-Ingredient Pizza Soup Recipe

If you have a house full of hungry kids, this slow cooker 5-ingredient pizza soup is a lifesaver. This soup is like the pizza they crave at takeout, but in soup form! You get the great taste of pepperoni and rich tomato broth, without any kneading involved.

I keep this slow cooker pizza soup recipe in my weekly rotation because it’s so easy! All you do is throw the ingredients in the crock pot and let them cook. It’s quick and easy enough that you don’t have to spend your whole afternoon prepping veggies.

This method is great for game nights on Friday, or any weekend dinner. Add the broth and pepperoni and you’re set. Your family will love this delicious and hearty soup!

Why You Will Love This Recipe

What I love most about this easy dinner recipe is how it perfectly recreates the flavor of pizza in a whole new way. The pepperoni melts into the broth as it cooks, giving the soup that authentic pizza shop flavor. It’s such a clever way to make a pizza craving go away and provide a nice, hearty meal on a cold night.

It’s also super easy to clean up! Since everything cooks in the same slow cooker pot, there are no dirty pots or pizza pans to wash. You get the benefit of spending more time enjoying your meal and less time cleaning up!

The Ingredients

Here are the five simple ingredients you’ll need to make this hands-off recipe:

Pepperoni Slices

A bag of sliced pepperoni adds bold flavor to the soup without adding several other Italian seasonings. When it cooks, the pepperoni becomes tender and releases its flavorful oils into the broth. To reduce the grease somewhat, try swapping out turkey pepperoni which is a lighter alternative but has the familiar smoky flavor of regular pepperoni.

Pizza Sauce

Using a big jar of your favorite jarred pizza sauce is a great way to shortcut making a rich and flavorful tomato base. It comes pre-seasoned with all the ingredients you need to make a delicious tomato sauce, including sweet tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and basil, saving you the trouble of reaching for every little spice in the pantry. You can use regular marinara sauce if you don’t have pizza sauce, although it may be good to sprinkle in a touch more dried oregano to give the pizza flavor a boost.

Refrigerated Cheese Tortellini

Stirring in a pack of refrigerated cheese tortellini right before serving transforms this basic soup into a hearty meal. The tortellini cooks in the tomato broth, absorbing all the flavors and giving you a cheesy center in each dumpling. Frozen tortellini and even sturdy short pastas like rotini will work, although they take longer to cook and require more broth.

How to Make It

Ready to make this fun, pizza-inspired dinner? It only takes a few easy steps!

Combine the Base

Lightly coat the inside of your slow cooker insert with nonstick spray. Add the chicken broth, the whole jar of pizza sauce, and the sliced pepperoni. Stir to combine well.

Cook Low and Slow

Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours. This gives the pepperoni enough time to infuse its flavor throughout the rich, tomato-based broth.

Add the Tortellini

About 20 minutes before dinner is ready, open the lid and stir in the refrigerated tortellini. Turn the slow cooker to HIGH.

Simmer the Pasta

Cover the slow cooker and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Your pepperoni pizza soup is ready when the tortellini are tender and have floated to the top of the hot broth.

Garnish and Serve

Turn off the slow cooker and ladle the hot soup into serving bowls. Top with a generous amount of shredded mozzarella cheese and allow it to melt before enjoying.

My Top Tips for Success

To bulk up this soup for a hungry group, brown a pound of Italian sausage or ground beef in a skillet and add it to the crock pot along with the other ingredients. This extra meat complements the pepperoni and adds extra richness to the broth, making your soup even more indulgent and reminiscent of a meat lovers pizza.

Be careful not to add the tortellini too early, or they’ll overcook. The reason I tell you to add the tortellini near the end of the cooking time is that since it takes such a short amount of time to cook the pasta, if you were to put it in the pot first thing in the morning, the pasta would be totally disintegrated and mushy by dinnertime. 

For the best results, take your mozzarella from the block, and grate it fresh to top the pizza soup. The cheese will melt down nicely over the hot pizza soup. Store-bought shredded cheese can often turn out grainy and lumpy after a few minutes sitting atop the soup.

Storage and Reheating

• Store any leftover pizza soup in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. 
• Freezing the pizza soup isn’t recommended, especially after you’ve added the tortellini. When you thaw and reheat it, the cheese tortellini will be mushy. 
• You can reheat individual servings in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes, or heat up on the stove-top over medium-low heat. You may have to add a little bit of extra chicken broth after thawing because some of the liquid will have been absorbed by the tortellini.

What to Serve it With

• Serve alongside garlic breadsticks with butter (perfect for dipping in the pizza soup).
• Pair with a crisp Caesar salad with lots of crunchy croutons and parmesan cheese.
• Enjoy topped with red pepper flakes for a spicy kick.
• Serve garnished with fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use dry pasta instead of tortellini?

Yes, you can use dry pasta like rotini or macaroni. You’ll just have to put it in about 30-40 minutes before serving. You might also have to add another cup of broth to compensate for the pasta.

Can I cook this on HIGH instead?

If you’re in a hurry, you could do it all on HIGH for about 2 hours before adding the tortellini at the very end.