Sweet Kat's Italian Cooking

MINESTRONE - (BIG SOUP)

There is nothing like nice Italian soup to take the chill out of a cold, cold day. And baby, it is cold here in Atlanta. In case you didn't hear, Atlanta got SNOW! Yes, snow. While to some of you this might not be newsworthy, to people living in Atlanta it is a "Big Event". Remember Atlanta is in the South and snow is very rare. So here I am in my nice warm house--oh please, please, I hope the electricity doesn't go out--looking at the pretty snow. The streets are covered with snow, no plows here, and my car looks like a big snowball. I will need to clean it I guess with a broom since I tossed my shovel away many years ago. Why did I do that? It would certainly come in handy today. I just came up with a much better idea, why not make some easy and delicious soup? Yes, I like that idea. Minestrone, or as we Italians refer to it as "Big Soup", is a very easy and tasty soup. You can serve it with garlic bread and you can change the vegetables and beans if you like. So today, I declare it "Big Soup"

2 T. olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 c. shredded cabbage
1 (15 oz.) can cannellini beans, drained
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes
2 (14 oz.) cans beef broth
1/4 c. chopped parsley
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 c. elbow macaroni
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, carrot, celery, and cabbage. Sauté 8-10 minutes. Add beans, tomatoes, broth, parsley, basil, and oregano. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook 1 hour. Transfer about 1-1/2 cups of the soup to a blender and puree. Return the puree to the soup and add pasta and red pepper. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook an additional 15 minutes. Add water if the soup gets too thick. Serve.