Foggy Day Favorite

It's a bit of a fogger outside today, which means I woke up immediately wanting soup. Amy's makes some great ones in a can, but on lazy Saturdays when there's time to get good ingredients and cook, that's what I like to do. Since I'll be eating my way through the vegan mecca of Portland next weekend, I'm going to keep it light and healthy today, which of course means turning to Dr. McDougall. This recipe from his website is the perfect compliment to a San Francisco "summer" day. Enjoy!

Minestrone Soup

This is one of our favorite vegetable soups. It makes a wonderful meal with a loaf of fresh bread. It also reheats well and we like to have it for several lunches during the week.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 3 hours
Servings: 8

1 ¼ cup red kidney beans
8 cups water
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
6-8 fingerling potatoes, chunked
1 ½ cups fresh green beans, cut into 1½ inch pieces
1 cup tomato sauce
¼ cup parsley flakes
1 ½ teaspoon basil
1 ½ teaspoons oregano
½ teaspoon marjoram
¼ teaspoon celery seed
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 ounce can chopped tomatoes
1 zucchini, chopped
1 ½ cups shredded cabbage
½ cup uncooked whole wheat elbows

Place the beans in a large pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil, cook for 2 minutes, turn off heat and let rest for 1 hour. (To eliminate this step, soak beans overnight.) Drain off water. Add onion, garlic and 8 cups of fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 1 hour. Add celery, carrot, potatoes, green beans, tomato sauce and all the seasonings. Return to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 45 minutes. Add the garbanzo beans, canned tomatoes and zucchini. Cook for another 30 minutes. Then add the cabbage and pasta and cook for an additional 30 minutes.