Minestrone Soup

From Ovens of Brittany.

Ingredients

• 3 Tb. olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion (can used dehydrated onion)
• 2 tsp. minced garlic (can use garlic powder)
• 2/3 cup chopped carrots (2 carrots)
• 2/3 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
• 2/3 cup chopped zucchini (3 small)
• 1/2 cup chopped sweet bell pepper (optional)
• 1/2 cup chopped green beans (optional)
• 2 tsp. dried basil
• 2 cans “V8” juice (24 oz. total)
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 can (15 oz.) chopped tomatoes
• 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, undrained
• 1 cup dried pasta (4 0Z.)
• 2 Tb. minced fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Heat oil over medium heat in soup pot. Add onion, garlic carrots and celery. Cook 5 minutes. Add zucchini, sweet pepper, green beans, and dried basil. Cook 5 minutes. Add V8 juice, chicken stock, tomatoes, kidney beans. Simmer 10-15 minutes. Add dried macaroni and fresh parsley. Cook until pasta is tender, about 10-12 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve. (An alternative step is cook macaroni separately and add it to the individual bowls. This way the pasta will not continue to absorb liquid and get mushy as leftover soup cools down.)