Mama's Hearty Minestrone

Ingredients

• 1 cup broccoli finely chopped
• 29 ounce tomatoes diced canned
• 2 cups carrots diced
• 14.5 ounce chicken broth low-sodium canned
• 1 tablespoon basil dried
• 0.5 cup elbow macaroni 
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1  bell pepper diced green
• 1 pound ground beef 
• 0.5 teaspoon ground pepper black
• 1  onion diced
• 1.5 teaspoons oregano dried
• 0.3 cup parmesan cheese shredded to taste
• 0.5 teaspoon salt 
• 2 cups tomato sauce 
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 
• 0.5 cup water 
• 1  zucchini sliced quartered

Equipment

• frying pan
• pot

Directions

1. Heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat; cook and stir onion and garlic until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
2. Add ground beef; cook and stir until beef is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
3. Drain excess grease.
4. Transfer ground beef mixture to an 8-quart stockpot; add chicken broth, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, and carrots. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until carrots are partially cooked, 10 minutes.
5. Add zucchini, bell pepper, basil, oregano, salt, and black pepper; simmer until carrots are tender, about 10 more minutes.
6. Stir broccoli and macaroni into soup; simmer until macaroni is cooked through but firm to the bite, about 10 minutes.
7. Garnish with Parmesan cheese to serve.