Chicken Tortellini Soup

You can use more or less tortellini than called for, it all depends on how much you want in your soup and also what size your grocery store carries. I have used 2 (13 oz.) bags before with no problem, so it's pretty versatile. You can also swap out the tortellini for 1 lb. of wide egg noodles if you want chicken noodle soup.

Chicken Tortellini Soup

2 TBSP. olive oil
1 lb. chicken breast, cubed
1 lb. carrot slices (I use a 1 lb. bag of frozen carrot slices)
4 to 5 stalks celery, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 to 2 TBSP. minced garlic from jar
6 to 7 qts. chicken broth
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. salt
19 oz. frozen cheese tortellini (more or less)
shredded parmesan

In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the chicken and cook until no pink remains. Add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic and cook until the carrots are crisp tender. Add the chicken broth, thyme, bay leaves and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Add the tortellini and let cook for 20-30 minutes. Top each serving with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
Makes about 12-14 servings

*note* I also use 6 to 7 quarts of water and add 24 to 27 tsp. of chicken bouillon granules if I don't have the chicken stock on hand.