Tortellini Chicken Noodle Soup

I've seen this soup all over Pinterest and I can tell you why - it's great! The tortellini ends up tasting a lot like dumplings. Everyone in my family had seconds and raved about how yummy it was. I got the recipe from Cooking Classy and modified it slightly, but I think there are a lot of different blogs with similar recipes. I served it with the Perfect Dinner Rolls recipe I posted last week and it was a great dinner.

Tortellini Chicken Noodle Soup

3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots, about 5 medium carrots
1 cup chopped celery, about 3 stalks
1 cup chopped onion
4 teaspoons minced garlic
2, 1 quart boxes chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
19 oz frozen cheese tortellini
3 cups cooked and chopped chicken (I used rotisserie chicken)
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 tablespoons Ultra Gel (or you can use cornstarch mixed with a little water), optional

In a large soup pot melt the butter. Saute carrots, celery, and onion in the melted butter until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add chicken stock, Italian seasoning, parsley, bouillon, tortellini, and chopped chicken. Bring to a boil and  cook until tortellini is cooked through. Add Ultra Gel or cornstarch just to thicken up the broth a little bit (totally optional). Season with salt and pepper to taste.