Italian Bean Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/4 lb. cooked ham (in one piece)
2 medium size celery stalks
2 medium size carrots
1 medium size onion
1 medium size zucchini (about 8 oz.)
2 (15 to 19 oz.) cans white kidney beans (cannellini), rinsed and drained
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 (14 to 16 oz.) can stewed tomatoes
1 (13 to 14 oz.) can chicken broth
1/4 c. packed fresh spinach leaves, chopped with stems removed
2 c. water
grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preparation

Cut ham in small pieces. Dice celery. Thinly slice carrots. Chop onions. Dice zucchini. Remove 1 cup of white kidney beans and mash with fork. In 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil, ham, celery, carrots, onion, zucchini, basil and pepper until vegetables are tender (about 15 minutes). Stir in stewed tomatoes, chicken broth, spinach, white mashed beans and 2 cups of water. Using spoon to break up tomatoes, heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 15 minutes to blend flavors. Stir in remaining beans. Heat through.