Minestrone

Obviously this make a lot of soup, so I halved the recipe, which fed our family of four plus we had leftovers. The original recipe adapted from Food Network.

2 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium-size carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced thin
1 medium-size potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 medium-size yellow or green squash cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 T dried basil
2 t dried oregano
2 large bay leaves
1 large can(28)oz crushed tomatoes, with their juice
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
4 oz macaroni
1 can beans of your choice (I used white canneli beans)
Grated Parmesan cheese
Parsley
***I added 3/4 cup frozen spinach, and 1 cup green beans****
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over low heat for 1 minute, add the onions and cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Raise the heat to moderate and add the carrots, potato, squash, basil, oregano, and bay leaves. Cook, uncovered, 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally.
Add the tomatoes and stock and bring to a boil; adjust the heat so that the mixture bubbles gently and cook, uncovered about 20 minutes longer. Add the green beans, cover, and cook until the beans are tender but still crisp. Remove the bay leaves.
Add the pasta and cook until tender. Add additional water, if necessary. Add the white beans. Cook 3 to 5 minutes longer, until heated through. Ladle into soup bowl and sprinkle with cheese and parsley.

This soup hit the spot, It is filled with tons of nutrients which is perfect when you are not feeling well.