Katzen's Minestrone (Vegetarian)

I'm famous for my Minestrone and here's the recipe--it's vegetarian and very good. Feel free to sub vegetable stock for the homemade stock - but if you have time and the ingredients, make the stock homemade - it's so much better that way! You'd need about 8 cups of broth.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 12

Ingredients

• The broth

• 3  heads garlic (whole)
• 10  cups water
• 2 -3  bay leaves
• 8  whole black peppercorns
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 2  potatoes, scrubbed, peeled, and coarsely chopped
• 3  celery ribs, coarsely chopped
• 3  medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1⁄4 teaspoon dried thyme or 4  fresh thyme sprigs

• The Soup

• 2  tablespoons canola oil
• 2  onions, chopped
• 4  carrots, chopped
• 3  bell peppers, red, green, yellow, orange, chopped
• 3  small zucchini, chopped
• 6 -8  garlic cloves, crushed
• 3  tablespoons dried basil
• 3  tablespoons dried oregano
• 1  pinch  dried chili pepper flakes
• 2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 1  cup frozen cauliflower
• 1 (16 ounce) can kidney beans
• 1 1⁄2-2  cups pasta (short, chunky pasta is good)
•  salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Part One: The Broth.
2. Remove the papery skins from the garlic heads and break them into cloves.
3. Whack the cloves with the broad side of a wide knife.
4. Combine everything up to and including the thyme in a large pot and bring to a boil.
5. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for an hour.
6. Strain the stock and use right away, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to four days, or freeze up to six months.
7. Part Two: The Soup.
8. Sauté onions in oil, until they are starting to soften.
9. Add carrots, peppers, zucchini, garlic, basil, oregano, chili flakes, and turn down to medium-low and cover, stirring frequently, until the veggies start to soften a bit.
10. Add diced tomatoes and broth, and season with salt and pepper.
11. Bring to a simmer, cover, and allow to cook for 45 minutes or so.
12. Add drained and rinsed beans.
13. Add pasta, and cool immediately or pasta will start to break down and fall apart.