Bacon Minestrone

• 1/2 pound dried red kidney beans
• 8 ounces bacon
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced leeks
• 1 cup julienne-cut carrot
• 1/2 cup sliced celery
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 (10 1/2-ounce) cans chicken broth
• 5 cups water
• 2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, undrained and coarsely chopped
• 1 cup elbow macaroni, uncooked
• 2 cups coarsely shredded cabbage
• 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced zucchini
• 1/2 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Sort and wash beans; place in a Dutch oven. Cover with water to a depth of 2 inches above beans; let soak overnight. Drain beans well; set aside.
2. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp; remove bacon, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in pan. Crumble bacon, and set aside.
3. Add olive oil to pan; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add leeks and next 4 ingredients; saute until tender. Stir in Italian seasoning and salt; saute 1 minute. Stir in beans, chicken broth, and 5 cups water; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until beans are tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in tomato, macaroni, cabbage, zucchini, and spinach. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Ladle into individual bowls. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese and crumbled bacon.

beans, bacon, olive oil, leeks, juliennecut carrot, celery, parsley, fresh garlic, italian seasoning, salt, chicken broth, water, tomatoes, elbow macaroni, cabbage, zucchini, freshly grated parmesan cheese

Taken from www.myrecipes.com/recipe/bacon-minestrone (may not work)