Recipes:
## **Traditional Minestrone**
**Serves 6**
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### **Ingredients**
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 medium onions, chopped
* 2 cups chopped carrots
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed
* 2 stalks celery, chopped
* 1 (9-ounce) box frozen cut green beans
* 7 cups beef broth
* 1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
* 1 cup elbow macaroni
* 1 (15-ounce) can Great Northern beans, drained
* 2 teaspoons dried basil
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
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### **Make Ahead**
You can make this soup up to **24 hours ahead** and refrigerate.
Or, freeze the soup for up to **6 months**.
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### **Variation**
To turn this into a one-dish meal, add **1 pound of browned and well-drained ground beef.**
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### **Directions**
1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat; add onions, carrots, garlic and celery.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are slightly soft, about **10 minutes**.
2. Add green beans, broth and tomatoes to pot.
Bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat.
Simmer, covered, for **30 minutes**.
3. Add macaroni, beans and basil.
Simmer, covered, until macaroni is tender, about **10 minutes**.
4. Ladle soup into bowls.
Top each serving with Parmesan.
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### Make It Quicker
In a hurry? Use frozen sliced carrots, but add them in step 2 and reduce the cooking time in step 1 by **5 minutes**.
