Minestrone

I love soup & am so excited that the weather is cooling off again. I like that I can make enough soup to last a couple of meals & that it usually gets better with time. But minestrone isn't typically a soup that tastes better the next day. The noodles get too soggy & it's just not as good as the first time. So I've made a little change: Quinoa instead of noodles.

Ingredients:
1 lb. Italian sausage
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
2 large carrots, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. parsley
1 t. basil
1 t. oregano
1 t. garlic powder
1 cans (15 oz) diced tomatoes
2 cans (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, rinsed
1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, rinsed
1 c. water
1 c. quinoa
1 c. frozen green beans
Parmesan Cheese, grated

Directions:
1. Brown sausage in a large pot. Add veggies & cook for 5 minutes longer.
2. Stir in garlic & herbs & cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
3. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans & water. Simmer until carrots are almost tender (about 15 minutes)
4. Stir in quinoa & green beans and simmer for 20 minutes more. Garnish with parmesan.

**The quinoa will thicken the soup slightly**