Meatball and Tortellini Soup

This recipe is inspired by a Tyler Florence recipe out of his Dinner at My Place cookbook. I used AB's meatballs, and added some Better than Bouillon to add a little more flavor to this soup. The rest is Tyler's creation, and man is it tasty! Perfect for a fall evening.

Meatball and Tortellini Soup
Ingredients:
1 batch of cooked AB's Meatballs
Extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
4 fresh thyme sprigs
2 large carrots, cut into circles
1 medium onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
Kosher salt
2 quarts reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tbs Better than Bouillon Chicken flavor
4 black peppercorns
2 tbs chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
1 bay leaf
1 pound fresh refrigerated or frozen cheese tortellini, thawed
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1. Set a large stockpot over medium heat. Add 2 tbs olive oil, the garlic and thyme. Gently saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add carrot, onion, and celery. Season with salt and cook for 5-7 minutes. Pour in chicken broth, Better than Bouillon, and add peppercorns, the 2 tbs parsley, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes

2. Add the cooked meatballs to the soup and add tortellini. Bring to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes to allow the flavors to come together. Remove peppercorns and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper and serve in shallow bowls. Sprinkle with parsley and Parmesan cheese.