posted by Deborah 09-28-100 11:54 AM
from Creme de Colorado
Hearty Minestrone
2 pounds chuck roast
1 teaspoon salt
4 quarts water
1 cup sliced celery
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
2 tomatoes, chopped (peeling optional)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 (16 ounce) can dark red kidney beans
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans
1 (16 ounce) can baked beans (don't leave these out)
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
3 small zucchini, sliced
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, sliced
any type of noodle you like, about 8 ounces dried total
In large kettle, combine chuck roast, 1 teaspoon salt and water. Cover and simmer for 3 hours or until beef is tender. Remove meat from kettle and set aside. Remove fat from broth by letting kettle cool in refrigerator and then lifting hardened fat off top and discarding. Break meat into 1-inch pieces and combine with broth in a very large stock pot.
Stir in celery, onion carrot, tomatoes, parsley, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon salt, oregano, basil, kidney beans with liqid, garbanzo beans with liquid, baked beans,spinach, zucchini and sliced sausage. Simmer, covered, until vegetables and sausage are tender, about one hour. Soup may be frozen at this point. Add cooked noodles as desired when reheated. Sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese.
Yield: 8 quarts