This is the Best Gluten Free Minestrone Soup!

   Minestrone is a good clean the frig out sort of soup.  A few days ago my son and his girlfriend came over for the purpose of making this spectacular minestrone soup recipe that she had found posted on Pinterest.   

   She tweaked a few things and from that you get the recipe below.  The original calls for 4 links of Italian sausage, but you can also use Amy's chicken sausage or make it completely vegetarian.  This minestrone is fabulous tasting!  You may need to add more chicken/veggie stock if it gets too thick!

MINESTRONE SOUP

1. Prepare veggies:
(1)  Chop up 1 yellow onion.
(2)  Chop 2 stalks of celery.
(3)  Coarsely chop up 2 carrots.
(4)  Cube 3 medium potatoes.
(5)  Chop up 1 small zucchini.
(6)  Rinse and chop 2 cups of spinach
(7)  Mince 3 cloves of garlic.

2. Prepare sausage:  Prick the skins of  a one pound package of Italian turkey sausage and put them into a pan with water to cover and boil for about 15 minutes.  Drain water and cut them up and put 2 T of oil into a skillet and add the sliced meat,  onion, celery, and garlic.

3.  Steam the potatoes and the carrots for about 15 minutes. (If you have longer time, you can add these to the soup below and let them all cook together in a crock pot or on the stove for a few hours.)

4.  Meanwhile prepare the soup: 
 (1)  Put 6-8 cups of chicken/vegetable stock into a soup pot
(2)  Then add these seasonings:   2 tsp. of salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, 1 T dried basil, and  1-2 tsp. dried marjoram,  1 tsp. dried oregano (if you like), 1/2 T Bragg Organic Sprinkle 24 Herbs & Spices Seasoning or Costco's No Salt Seasoning, and  1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes .Taste and make any adjustments.
(3)  Bring it to a boil and then put on medium-low to simmer.

 5. Then  add :
(1)  Two 15 oz.  cans of  can whole tomatoes
(2) 1 can of drained of green beans or you can use frozen
(3) 1 15 oz. can of kidney beans
(4)  1 15 oz. can of garbanzo beans
(5)  Then add the spinach and the steamed vegetables.
Let  the soup simmer for 15 minutes. You may need to add a cup more of chicken/veggie stock if it's too thick.
(6) Taste and make any adjustments
(7)   Add 1-2 cups (depending on how many noodles you like) of gluten free pasta and cook until the noodles are tender. 
(8)  Taste and adjust any seasonings.  

List of My Favorite Soups, Chili & Stew Recipes: 

Beef 

Grandma's Favorite Beef Stew  (My mother-in-law's delicious recipe!)

Just Like Home Ukrainian Borscht   (A Polish student  said this tasted like his mom's!)

Poultry

This is the Best Gluten Free Minestrone Soup!   (A recipe my son modified)

Mouth Watering Italian Turkey Sausage Soup   (This is  my friend Debbie's recipe)
Mexican Fiesta Chicken Soup   (A recipe I got years ago from a Mexican cookbook)
My Thanksgiving Turkey Soup  (My very own special concoction!)
Gary's Incredible Gluten Free Arkansas Gumbo  (Given to me by a Bible study friend from Arkansas)
Jeannie's French Market Soup  (A friend from when my kids were little)
Southwest Turkey Soup  (From my Syre School cookbook)

Fish
Northwest Salmon Chowder  (From my Heritage School cookbook)
Almost Like Ivar's Clam Chowder (From my Come & Dine Cookbook)

Bean & Legumes
Vi's Best Chili  (A  Bible study friend's great recipe)
Bethany's Crowd Pleasing Tortilla Soup  (One of my daughter's friends special soup)
Country-Style Lentil Soup   (From my Heritage School cookbook)
Kathy's Texas Chili & Chips (From my Come & Dine cookbook)

Vegetable

Creamy Pumpkin Soup  (from Food Network)
My Favorite Gluten Free Pumpkin Curry Soup  (Combo from Food & All Recipes)
Downright Delicious Potato & Kale Soup  (From my daughter-in-law's family cookbook)
A Great Fall Soup - Make it From Scratch Corn Potato Chowder  (From my Heritage School Cookbook)

Asian
Chinese Chicken Soups  - Bok choy chicken, chicken & spinach, and chicken & cabbage (Modified from Internet search by our Chinese students)
Make Your Own Gluten Free Chicken Pho!  (Modified from a newspaper article)
Gluten Free Chinese Hot Pot  (Modified by a Chinese student)
Chinese Egg Drop Soup  &  Chinese Egg & Tomato Soup  (Modified  from a student's recipe)

Vegetarian & Gluten Free Tom Yum Soup (A delicious Thai soup) 
Deluxe Miso Soup (Kenchinjiru)   (Adapted from Internet search)
A Thai Mom Teaches Me How to Make Tom Yum Kung  (A student's mom's recipe)
A Vietnamese Cooking Lesson - Lien's Vietnamese Sweet & Sour Soup  (An International student's aunt's recipe)
Cooking Beef Pho for Vietnamese Students (Modified recipe with Vietnamese Aunt)