Low-Fat Minestrone Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup onion (about 1 med)
3 cups chopped green cabbage (about 1/2 medium head)
2 cups chopped zucchini (about 2 small)
1 cup slice carrot (about 2 medium)
1 cup chopped celery (about 2 medium stalks)
4 cups vegetable broth (I\"ve used vegetable broth cubes or canned broth)
4 cups tomato juice (I use a whole large can)
1 cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained
1 (14 ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to drain
grated parmesan cheese, if desired

Preparation

Heat oil in 8 qt dutch oven over medium heat.
Cook garlic and onion in oil about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender.
Stir in remaining ingredients except cheese, break up tomatoes.
Heat to boiling; reduce heat.
Cover and simmer 1 hour.
Serve with grated parmesan cheese.
Freezes well.
Sometimes I cook pasta and add it to the bowl before I ladle out the soup, but it is good as is. Don't add the pasta directly to the soup as it will break down and become a starchy mess.
Enjoy!