Minestrone

A hearty, delicious soup like this should be made to warm you up on a cold, January wintry day, right?

...or I guess it works in April when it snows, too. (Like today.)

*sigh*

Winter or not, this recipe makes a ton of soup--and tastes even better on day two!

1-2 Tbs olive oil

1 med onion, chopped

2 tsp minced garlic

4 cups water

3-4 carrots, sliced

3-4 potatoes, chopped

3 stalks celery, sliced

1 cup green beans (fresh or frozen)

1 can light red kidney beans, with liquid

1 can dark red kidney beans, with liquid

1 can corn, with liquid

1 T. dried basil

1-2 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 cans Italian stewed tomatoes

5 beef bouillon cubes (use veg broth substitute to make this vegan/vegetarian)

1-2 T. dried parsley

1 pkg. frozen, chopped spinach

Salt & Pepper, to taste

In a large pot, saute onions & garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add in water, carrots, potatoes, and celery; cook until tender. Add rest of ingredients and simmer at least 30 minutes before serving (the longer the better). (No need to thaw spinach; just throw it in frozen and break it up as the soup simmers.) Finally, sprinkle grated parmesan cheese on top, slice up your favorite crusty bread and feel free to dunk and slurp!