CLASSIC MINESTRONE SOUP

CLASSIC MINESTRONE SOUP
This is an all time favorite. The nice thing about it is that you can use whichever vegetables you have on hand. This recipe can start you off.

Ingredients:
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped 3 celery stalks, chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 zucchini, chopped 1 cup broccoli florets 1 cup spinach leaves 1 can crushed tomatoes 1 cup canned kidney beans, rinsed 8 cups water 1 cup small pasta like elbows or orzo salt and pepper to taste Fresh chopped parsley for a garnish

Instructions:
Combine all of the ingredients except the pasta in a soup pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer for at least one hour until the vegetables are soft. Add pasta during the last fifteen minutes of cooking and cook for eight to ten minutes. You can also cook the soup in the crock pot. Just add all of the ingredients at once.