This is a great soup receipt. I've been meaning to post it for a while. A mother of one of my students made the soup for Teacher Appreciation Week and she was kind enough to share her receipt.

Hearty Italian Vegtable Soup

1 pound ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 quart peeled and diced tomatoes
1 (29 oz) can tomato sauce
1 cup chopped carrots (I use the shoe string carrots from the produce counter!!!)
2 Quarts beef broth OR
equivalent of water and bouillon
1 (15 oz) can green beans
2 Tabelspoons dried parsley
1 Tabelspoon dried oregano
2 Tabelspoons dried basil
3 teaspoons ground mustard
3 cups pasta of your choice

In a large pot brown ground beef, onion & garlic; drain grease. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, carrots, broth & green beans and bring to a boil.

Add pasta and spices, return to boil and then lower heat and cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally until pasta is cooked.

Add salt and pepper to taste (red pepper is good too if you like it).

This soup will thicken considerably when stored. Thin with water and tomatoe sauce when reheating. Yield 1 gallon.

My friends notes: You could add lots of other vetables to this soup. Some I would try are: zucchini (not me, though!), celery, bell pepper, corn cabbage and kidney beans.

My notes: I tried the soup with sausage instead of hamburger. That was good, too!