Minestrone Soup

Original recipe found in Creme de Colorado Cookbook. Freezes well.

Quantity	Unit	Ingredient
2	pounds	chuck roast
1	teaspoon	salt
4	quarts	water
1	cup	celery	diced
1		onion	diced
1		carrot	peeled and sliced
1	can	diced tomatoes
2	tablespoons	parsley	chopped
1	can	tomato paste
1	tablespoon	salt
1	teaspoon	dried oregano
1	teaspoon	dried basil
1	can	dark red kidney beans
1	can	garbanzo beans
1	can	baked beans
1	package	frozen chopped spinach	thawed
3	small	zucchini	sliced
1	pound	Italian sweet sausage
1	package	Reame's frozen noodles
		Parmesan cheese	for garnish

In large kettle, combine chuck roast, 1 teaspoon salt and water. Cover and simmer for 3 hours or until beef is tender.

Remove meat from kettle and set aside. Remove fat from broth by letting kettle cool in refrigerator and then lifting hardedned fat off top and discarding. Break meat into 1 - inch pieces and combine with broth in a very large stock pot.

Stir in celery, onion, carrot, tomatoes, parsley, tomato paste, 1 Tablespoon salt, oregano, basil, kidney beans with liquid, garbanzo beans with liquid, baked beans, spinach, zucchini and sliced sausage,

Simmer, covered until vegetables and sausage are tender, about 1 hour. Soup may be frozen at this point.

To serve, cook noodles according to package directions. Rinse, drain and add to hot soup. Sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese.