Minestrone Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 c. olive oil
2 large Spanish onions, cut up
4 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 to 4 carrots, peeled and cut up
3 large stalks celery
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 medium size head green cabbage, cut up
8 to 10 kale leaves, cut up
1/2 tsp. thyme
2 bay leaves
3 qt. water
1 (28 oz.) can plum tomatoes, broken up (with liquid)
1 c. small pasta (tubelli or shells)
1 (16 oz.) can chickpeas (with liquid)
black pepper

Preparation

Place oil in a 10-quart pot.
Add onions, garlic, carrots, celery and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook over low heat until onions are wilted, but not brown.
Add cabbage, kale, thyme, bay leaves and rest of salt.
Increase heat, stirring constantly for one minute. Add water, tomatoes and chickpeas; bring to a boil.
Lower heat and simmer 45 minutes.
Add pasta and cook 15 minutes more, until pasta is tender.
Correct seasonings.