Hearty Minestrone

In large kettle, combine chuck roast, 1 teaspoon salt and water. Cover and simmer for 3 hours or until beef is tender. Remove meat from kettle and set aside. Remove fat from broth by letting kettle cool in refrigerator and then lifting hardened fat off top and discarding. Break meat into 1-inch pieces and combine with broth in a very large stock pot. Stir in celery, onion, carrot, tomatoes, parsley, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon salt, oregano, basil, kidney beans with liquid, garbanzo beans with liquid, baked beans, spinach, zucchini, and sliced sausage. Simmer, covered, until vegetables and sausage are tender, about 1 hour. Soup may be frozen at this point.

To serve, cook noodles according to package directions. Rinse, drain, and add to hot soup. Sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese.

This recipe makes 8 quarts of soup. The recipe can be halved, but because of the preparation time involved, it is well worth the effort to make the larger amount and freeze the balance.