Minestrone Magnifique!

Preparation time: 10 mins Cooking time: 4 hours Easy - for beginners Serves: 6

Description

A great excuse to drag out that stock pot to warm you on these icy winter days! This mouth-watering minestrone cooks slow all afternoon filling the house with warmth & comfort. Serve soup w/ freshly baked hot buttery French or sourdough bread ~ £ ~

Ingredients

2 cans S&W Italian Style Stewed Tomatoes (14.5 oz)
1 can Progresso Tomato Puree (28 oz)
1 can S&W Premium Dark Red Kidney Beans (27 oz)
2 cans S&W large Tender Garbanzos (15.5 oz)
2 large carrots
3 stalks celery w/ hearts
2 medium-size yellow onions
6 cloves garlic, minced
sea salt
freshly cracked black peppercorns
snipped fresh basil
2 tsp crushed red pepper
extra virgin olive oil
fresh grated parmesan
fresh grated romano
3 handfuls dry small elbow macaroni
hot freshly baked buttered French bread, or sourdough

Method

Finely chop 1 carrot, 1 stalk celery w/ heart, and both onions. Pour some olive oil in bottom of 12-quart stock pot. Add chopped mixture. Saute on low, stirring frequently until soft (5 mins.)

Add about 1c pure water to pot, along w/ tomato puree. (This will make your starter stock.)

Add seasonings to taste.

Boil mixture, then simmer covered on low heat. Add more water gradually to pot as needed.

Next - add beans (don’t drain) + stewed tomatoes (chopped).

Slow simmer covered for 1 hour.

Then add carrot & rest of celery stalks, cut into small chunks. Also add fresh grated cheeses at this time to taste (small amount will go a long way here.)

Simmer slowly (covered) for 3 hours on low, stirring frequently.

15 mins. before soup is done simmering, add 3 generous handfuls dry small elbow macaroni. Turn off heat, but let sit for remaining cooking time in covered stock pot.

Serve w/ hot buttered fresh French or sourdough bread.

Bon appetit!