Minestrone Soup

I tried making the Minestrone soup from scratch last night and the result wasn't bad at all. I stuck to the basic recipe and improvised the rest - so this recipe does not contain any stock or veggies like celery or zucchini. 

1. Heat EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) in a non-stick pot. Add some sliced garlic (7 large cloves) and sauté.
2. Add diced onions (3 medium sized) and sauté until light brown.
3. Add chopped tomatoes (8 medium sized) and salt. Cover and let the tomatoes cook until stewed (lose shape). Add water if required.
4. Add a bay leaf, basil and oregano. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes.
5. Add chopped carrots (1 cup). Cover and cook until carrots are nearly done.
6. Add cooked kidney beans (1 1/2 cups) along with some of the water that they were cooked in.
7. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
8. Add chopped green bell pepper (1 large). Cook for a few minutes.
9. Add chopped spinach (2 cups), cover and cook for 10 minutes, until the spinach changes colour.
10. Add boiled pasta (1 cup) and crushed black pepper. Cover and cook for another 7 minutes.
11. Serve with grated cheese.

Next time, I may just skip the green bell pepper, if I'm adding spinach. And I will try adding potatoes, if I'm serving this for dinner.