minestrone

Since we are well into October, I can now pretend the weather is cold and start making soup! Minestrone is one of my favorites - easy, flexible (you can put whatever you want into it), healthy, and freezable. Here is the basic way to make it:
1 onion
1 zucchini
3 carrots (or 1/2 bag baby carrots)
can diced tomatoes (undrained)
can garbanzo beans (drained)
3 c. V-8
1 box (or 2 cans) vegetable broth
1 T. parsley
1 t. basil
1/2 c. dried pasta (macaroni works)

1. Chop fresh vegetables and saute in oil in a big pot until onion is cooked and other vegs begin to get soft.
2. Add all of the other ingredients except the pasta. Bring to a boil, then down to a simmer. Simmer for 15 mins.
3. Add the pasta for the amount of time it needs to cook. (e.g., if it needs to cook 10 minutes, let the soup simmer without the pasta for 5 mins. and then add the pasta for the remaining 10 mins.)

Other vegetables I have tried that work well: froz. green beans, edamame, spinach, celery, potatoes.