CHEATERS " QUICK & EASY" MINESTRONE

Cheaters

Provided by Chicagoland Chef du

Time 1h20m

Yield 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 14

3 slices bacon, cooked crisp & chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, peeled and medium dice
1/2 cup celery, sliced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 (14 ounce) can low sodium beef broth
10 ounces condensed bean with bacon soup, Campbell's, undiluted
1 1/2 cups water
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice or 1 (14 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with juice
1 cup green cabbage, chopped
1 cup zucchini, cubed
1 cup ditalini or 1 cup elbow macaroni, uncooked
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated at serving

Steps:

Slice through bacon, put in the the dutch oven and fry until crisp.
Remove bacon from drippings; drain on a paper towel to remove excess grease. Reserve 1 or 2 Tablespoons bacon grease; leave grease in the pan.
In reserved bacon grease, sauté onions until slightly translucent; add garlic and sauté an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
Add carrots, celery, basil, broth, bean and bacon soup, water, tomatoes, cabbage, and zucchini.
Simmer for at least 60 minutes. Remove Parmesan rind.
In the mean time: boil water for pasta. Cook according to package directions.
DO NOT ADD pasta to the soup. Rinse cooked pasta with hot water to remove the starch residue and prevent sticking. Set aside.
Ladle hot soup over cooked macaroni; top with grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 380.8, Fat 13.5, SaturatedFat 5.3, Cholesterol 24.7, Sodium 1111.7, Carbohydrate 49.2, Fiber 8, Sugar 8.8, Protein 17.1