Minestrone Soup

This is a warm and hearty soup that also happens to be incredibly easy to make!  It's perfect for a weeknight meal during the winter, and it's also tasty enough to serve to guests.  Thanks to Paula for finding this one from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.

Minestrone Soup
Ingredients:
3 cans (14 oz. each) beef broth, or about 5 1/4 cups
1 can (15 oz.) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz.) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups vegetable juice (like V-8)
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
2 cups cooked pasta
2 cups fresh spinach leaves, cut into strips
Parmesan cheese

Directions:
In a large pot combine broth, beans, tomatoes, vegetable juice, tomato paste, sugar and Italian seasoning.  Bring to a boil and add mixed vegetables.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add spinach and cooked pasta and heat through.  Serve topped with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Notes:
--I highly recommend making the soup up to the point where it has simmered for 10 minutes the night before you serve it.  This soup benefits greatly in flavor from being refrigerated overnight.  Then you can simply heat up the soup while you cook your pasta and chop your spinach that night.  All it takes is a little planning ahead and it's super easy and fast.
--This soup tastes delicious served with rolls.  I recommend these beauties.
--This would be a truly vegetarian meal if you substitute vegetable stock for the beef broth.

Enjoy!
-Jennie