Minestrone... my way

this recipe is adapted from Cooking Light's minestrone soup.

here is the easy breezy, kids are watching sesame street
{be quick}, version.

~ 2 tsp olive oil
~ 1 yellow onion diced
~ 2 tsp oregano
~ 2 tsp garlic
~ 2 zucchini, chopped
~ 2 carrots, chopped
~ 3 roma tomatoes, diced
~ 1 can corn, drained
~ 1 cup or more of cooked chicken
   (costco precooked pieces are perfect)
~ 3 (14oz) cans of chicken broth
   i use one carton of trader joe's chicken broth
~ 1 can Great Northern Beans, drained
~ 1/2 cup uncooked ditalini noodles
~ fresh spinach
~ salt and pepper to taste
~ parmesan cheese

1. heat oil and add onions and oregano. saute.
2. add garlic, zucchini, carrots, tomatoes, and corn.
3. cook until softened, stirring often.
4. add broth.
5. simmer for 15-20 minutes. until fully cooked.
6. add Great Northern Beans.
7. add noodles.
8. simmer for another 10-15 minutes until fully cooked.
9. take off heat.
10. stir in a few handfuls of spinach.
11. add cheese salt and pepper.

i have made this four times now. i have loved it more each time. my version comes out with very little broth, since i only add the carton. and the noodles suck it up. you could easily add more. i like it with little broth... more of the good stuff.
the original recipe calls for asiago cheese, but i'm not a huge cheese lover and i don't like that flavor. i prefer the trader joe's parmesan.

you can also adjust any of the vegetable amounts. sometimes i add more zucchini or a little extra pasta.
i also added the chicken element.
i can buy every ingredient from trader joe's, besides the pasta. that is at target. also the costco precooked chicken is from costco ;)