Minestrone

This is the best minestrone EVER! It makes about 12 quarts, so you need a large pot (or two). This doubles as a fresh meal, OR a freezer meal, OR BOTH--portion into ziploc bags, freeze flat, then stack for a quick meal. (Pasta doesn't freeze well, so you would add the shells in when you rewarm.) In the photo, I added six smallish zucchini, chopped up, with the veggies at the beginning. Feel free to change it up depending on what you have on hand.

Minestrone Soup
(Makes approximately 12 quarts)

To one gallon of water add:
1/4 cup olive oil
one chopped onion
4 stalks celery, sliced
8 sliced carrots
2 TBS chicken bullion
2 TBS beef bullion
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup pearl barley
Simmer for 45 min.

After simmering, add the following--JUICE and all:
1 package (box) frozen, chopped spinach
2 cans green beans
1 can peas
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can kidney beans
3 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
Simmer 2 hours, minimum.

Boil 1 to 2 cups of macaroni shells according to package directions (or pasta of choice) and add right before serving.