Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

• 1 c. thinly sliced carrot
• 1 c. thinly sliced celery
• 1 c. chopped onion
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
• 1 large can of crushed tomatoes or 9 medium fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. of dried oregano
• 1 tsp. of Italian seasoning or basil
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 2 (14 1/2 oz.) cans ready-to-serve beef broth
• 1 (16 oz.) can navy beans, undrained
• 1 (15 oz.) can red kidney beans, undrained
• 1 large zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced
• 1/4 c. fresh parsley (optional)
• 1 c. uncooked elbow macaroni
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)