Brian's Famous Minestrone Soup
Why I Love This Recipe
My husband is a great cook (I was very lucky to snag him). Anyhow, it was his mom's original recipe, but he took out some things and added a few of his own touches to make it his own.
Unlike a typical minestrone recipe which has just pasta and vegetables, his recipe is best without the pasta and with ground beef added to it (sorry Vegans).
Ingredients You'll Need
1 1/4 lbs ground beef - 7% fat (needs to be cooked completely prior to adding to the rest of the soup)
2 (14.5 oz.) cans of red kidney beans (you may want to get 2 different brands for color)
2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
2 cups of diced potatoes
1 1/2 cups sliced zucchini
2 cups of diced sweet onions
1 cup of chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 box of frozen chopped spinach (6 oz.)
8 cups of water
3 tablespoons of oregano
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon basil
8 beef bullion cubes
1 tablespoon marjoram
1 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon pepper
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (do not add until after soup is cooked). Stir in.
Directions
Add all ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil. After that is done, keep on low heat covered, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes. You will notice that the vegetables are tender when it is ready. Served best with garlic bread.
Serves 8-12 people.