Italian Chicken Soup

With all the cold weather lately, I decided to try a new soup recipe Monday night for dinner and my family loved it.

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Green Pepper, Diced
1 Small Onion, Chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, Chopped
1 Tablespoon Dried Basil
2 Teaspoons Fennel Seeds
1/4 Teaspoon Crushed Dried Red Pepper (the pizza peppers)
6 Cups Chicken Broth
2 Medium Zucchini, Diced
1 Carrot, Diced
1 10 Oz. Package Cheese Tortellini or Ravioli
1 1/2 Cups Chicken, Cooked & Diced
Grated Parmesan Cheese

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add bell pepper, onion, garlic, basil, fennel seeds and crushed red pepper and saute until vegetables are just tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth. Cover pot and simmer 10 minutes. Add zucchini and carrot. Cover and simmer until carrot is almost tender, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to high and bring soup to boil. Add ravioli and boil until tender, about 5 minutes. Add chicken and cook just until heated through, about 1 minute. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls passing grated Parmesan cheese separately.