Hearty Minestrone Soup

One of my wonderful online friends shared this recipe with me, and it has become a favorite in our house. I used to make this at least once a week, but I found that it freezes very well, so I started making it once a month and freezing it for later. This soup is great on a cold winter day and is wonderful with or without pasta.

Hearty Minestrone Soup

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 medium yellow onions - chopped
2 cups celery - chopped
5 carrots - sliced
2 cups chicken stock (vegetable stock if you'd like to make a vegetarian version)
2 cups water
4 cups tomato sauce
1 can kidney beans - drained.
1 can green beans (15 oz)
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
3 zucchini - half moon, thin slices
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp dried basil
1/2 box of small shell pasta (optional)
1/4 cup grated parmesan

Directions:
Saute oil, garlic, and onion (4-5 minutes); add celery and carrots (2 minutes). Add stock, water, and tomato sauce. Bring to boil. Reduce to low; add kidney beans, green beans, spinach, zucchini, oregano, dash of salt (maybe a teaspoon) and dash of pepper.

Simmer 30-40 minutes.

Boil pasta separately. (This keeps the pasta from getting water logged and soggy.)

Place cooked pasta in bowls. Pour soup over pasta, and sprinkle with grated parmesan.