Kathy's Hearty Minestrone

Kathy's Hearty Minestrone
This was given to us by Charlie's Mom from a recipe in a cookbook she found. This is delicious! The whole family liked it. The heading says, "Here's another recipe for you, and it might just be the best minestrone soup on the planet. Don't let the number of ingredients intimidate you - almost everything is in a can. If you can find the courage to make this once, it is going to be one of your favorite recipes. It makes a big enough pot of soup that you'll be able to eat ten or twelve bowls of it. Don't leave out the fennel seeds, even if you've never heard of fennel. Fennel is what makes this recipe so good."

1 pound Polish sausage (hot or mild)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lg. onion, chopped
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
4 (14-oz.) cans chicken broth
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (10 oz.) box chopped frozen spinach (make sure it's chopped!)
1 1/2 C. sliced carrots
2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. fennel seeds
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 (19 oz.) can red beans
1 C. small dried pasta (shells if you can find them)
1 (10 oz.) package frozen cut green beans
Grated Parmesan cheese, for topping

Pierce the skins of the sausages with a fork; place them in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then cover and let simmer for 15 minutes or until cooked. Drain the liquid into a separate bowl. When the sausages are cool enough to touch, cut them into small slices.
In a large pot over medium-high heat, lightly brown the sausage slices in hot olive oil. Add the onions and the garlic, and cook until the onions are softened. Add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes (including liquid), frozen spinach, carrots, basil, oregano, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce the heat and let it simmer, covered, for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are almost tender.
Add the red beans (including liquid), the pasta, and the frozen beans. Let mixture simmer 5 to 7 minutes more, or until the pasta is tender but firm. Season the soup to taste. (It can be thinned with additional chicken broth or with the water from boiling the sausages, if necessary). Serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese.
Serves 10 to 12.

About 15 grams protein per serving?