Minestrone Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups coarsely chopped onions
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 5 cups beef broth
• 2 cups chopped tomatoes or 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
• 2 cups coarsely chopped cabbage
• 1 cup sliced fresh carrots
• 2 teaspoons dried basil or Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1-1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1-1/2 cups sliced zucchini
• 1 cup cut fresh green beans
• 1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup uncooked ditalini or 4 ounces spaghetti, broken into 3-inch pieces
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

• In a stockpot, saute the onions, celery, parsley and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, cabbage, carrots, basil, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour.
• In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside. Stir into soup along with the zucchini, beans and pasta. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables and pasta are tender. Top each serving with cheese. Yield: 20 servings (5 quarts).

Minestrone published in Country Ground Beef , p11