The Yummiest Minestrone Soup

I LOVE this recipe. I have had it for years- so long I don't even remember where I got it. But it is a recipe that turns out AMAZING every time. We just had it for dinner last weekend and it is just a healthy soul-food! Perfect for a cold day! The kids even love it, if I pick out their tomatoes.

Also the great thing about it is you can throw whatever veggies you happen to have in your fridge or even frozen corn from the freezer! If I need to use a lot of veggies, this is the dish I make so they don't go to waste. I never have actually used cabbage- I just substitute or add whatever I do have- cauliflower, zucchini, corn, squash, and even spinach. And I don't usually measure out the veggies either- just throw in whatever looks good or whatever you have. If you like a thicker soup, like I do, you can stir a few tablespoons of flour into a cup of the broth before adding it. If you don't have a lot of veggies, only add 1 quart chicken broth...

Minestrone Soup
4 T margarine (I use lowfat)
3/4 C chopped onion
1/4 c chopped celery
1/2 c chopped carrots
1 (19 oz.) can of Cannelli beans
1/2 c shredded cabbage
1 (14.5 oz.) can stewed tomatoes
1 T tomato paste (I just dump in spaghetti sauce!)
1/2 c cubed potatoes
2 qts. chicken broth (8 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T dried parsley
1 tsp salt
1/2 c elbow macaroni
1/2 c parmesan cheese
2 T basil

Melt butter in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrots; saute for a few minutes. Add beans, cabbage, tomatoes, tomato paste, potato, chicken stock, garlic, parsley, and salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat. Simmer for about 1 hour until vegetables are barely tender. Add pasta and basil and simmer 30 minutes more. Serve hot with grated cheese.

Note: We ate it all so fast I didn't get a pic! This is some random one off the net!