Minestrone Soup

I made this for a party, so this recipe feeds atleast 15 adults. It filled a 5 quart slow cooker completely and then half filled a 2 quart Sauce pan.

I dont like using canned beans in any of my recipes, so I always soak them ahead of time.

If you dont have the time or forget to do that, you may use the canned beans.

This soups also freezes well, you can make it and store in freezer bags and use them when you want later. When you want to eat, thaw it out for 4 hours and bring to a boil again.

You need

Red Kidney Beans - 2 Cups (Soaked for 8 to 10 hours)

Cannelini Beans (White Kidney Beans) - 1 cup (Soaked for 8 to 10 hours)

You can soak the beans together

Elbow Macaroni - 4 to 5 cups (cooked according to package instructions)

Onions- 2 big white ones -sliced

Tomatoes - 1 32 oz canned peeeled tomatoes (pureed)+ 3 big fresh tomatoes pureed

Green Italian Squash - 3 - Cut in cubes

Yellow Italian Squash - 3 - Cut in cubes

Carrots - 4 - cut in cubes

Broccoli - 1 small head (Cut in small flower like pieces)

Half Cauliflower - Cut in small flower like pieces

Beans- 2 handfuls (cut in 1/2 inch pieces so it can fit on a spoon)

Garlic - 1 - chopped

Crushed Red pepper- 3 to 4 tablespoons

Italian seasoning - 3 tablespoons

Olive oil - 5 tablespoons

Salt - to taste

Cranberry juice (or dark grape juice) - 1 cup

--- In a pressure cooker cook the beans, (Cover the beans with water and add some salt to it)

--- Cook the macaroni according to package instructions (remember to add salt to it)

--- In a big pan, (low medium flame)add the oil and wait till it gets hot, then add the chopped garlic

--- After the sliced onions and saute them lightly, then add the veggies one by one except the tomatoes

--- After all the veggies are sauteed lightly, add the tomato puree and the crushed red pepper and italian seasoning and salt and bring to a boil

---Once the beans are cooked, add this to the soup without draining the water

---Add the cooked macaroni to the soup

--- the soup consistency should be of a thick tomato soup, so add some water if necessary

---In the end add the juice to the soup

--- Taste the soup to see if it needs more salt

I started making this at 6.45pm and was done by 7.15pm including cuttting the vegetables and the pressure cooker time, so it is very easy to make. The soup was on a low flame till 7.45pm and then I transferred to a crock pot and took it for the party.

You can make this ahead of time and transfer it to a slow cooker, and keep on low heat, as time goes by the flavor gets better and better!