A Soup Swap!

My good friend Tammy at Tammy's Times has done several recipe exchanges, and now she's having one for soups. Here is one of our favorite fall soups. In fact, I just made a crockpot full on Saturday. It was my first taste of it since last winter, and boy was it good! I hope you enjoy it too! Be sure to drop by Tammy's Times to see more soup recipes.

Potato Minestrone Soup
From Quick Cooking November/December 2001

2 cans (14.5 oz. each) chicken broth - I use chicken bouillon granules to equal this amount
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
1 can (16 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained - I use white kidney beans
1 can (15 oz.) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 can (14.5 oz) beef broth - beef buillon granules to equal
2 cups frozen cubed hash brown potatoes, thawed - I use 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced in small cubes - much better flavor than the frozen hash browns
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic owder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained - I've used spinach, and I've done it without - we like it either way
2 cups frozen peas and carrots, thawed - I've never used these

I add 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef, browned, to make this soup more hearty.

In a slow cooker, combine the first 13 ingredients and the ground beef. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Stir in the spinach, peas and carrots; heat through. Yield: 12 servings (about 3 quarts). Our family of 5 adult-sized people can eat two complete meals off of this with the ground beef added.