Love to Cook – Minestrone Soup

This week’s Love to Cook Challenge was for soups and stews.  There is nothing that says “fall” to me more than a really great soup.  The “Love to Cook” button has a picture of one of my personal favorites, Taco Soup.  It’s easy, fast and yummy.  This minestrone is one I found last year at Allrecipes.com, and it rates right up there at the top.

Minestrone Soup

3-4 teaspoons olive oil

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

3-4 stalks celery, sliced

1-2 carrots, sliced

4 cups chicken broth

2 cans petite chopped tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

2 medium zucchinis, quartered and sliced

2 cups fresh spinach, thinly sliced

1 can dark red kidney beans

1 cup fresh or frozen green beans

3/4 cup red wine or water

2 tbsp fresh basil, thinly sliced

1 tbsp fresh oregano, thinly sliced

5 cups cooked macaroni, small shell or ditalini pasta

Fresh Parmesan cheese, grated

Heat oil over medium heat. Saute garlic in hot oil for 2 minutes. Add onion, celery and carrots and saute until onions are almost clear, 3-4 minutes. Put sauteed vegetables, chicken broth, tomatoes and tomato sauce in crock pot and cook on high for 2-3 hours. Add red wine or water, zucchini, kidney beans, green beans, spinach, basil and oregano to crock pot and cook for additional 30-45 minutes. When ready to serve put 1/2 cup of cooked pasta into each bowl.  Add minestrone over the pasta, grate Parmesan cheese over soup and serve.

I hope you will join in this carnival by adding your own recipe on your blog (or in the comments here if you don’t have a blog) and add a link in the Mr. Linky below.

Next week’s challenge: Chocolate!

Encourage one another,