Quick And Easy Minestrone Soup

Last night was one of those 'extra busy nights'.  We all have them, where dinnertime rolls around and we forgot to cook until the clock says "time to eat".
I checked my pantry and saw a bag of Bear Creek Minestrone soup I had picked up at the store a few weeks ago.  We've eaten their broccoli and their potato soups but not the minestrone, so I grabbed the bag and went looking for things I could add to make my own variation.  In my pantry I had V8 juice, beef broth and kidney beans.  I checked the freezer and had a bag of green beans too.  Once again, it pays to have your pantry well stocked on 'what's for dinner' nights.

Here is the recipe variation I came up with:

1 bag Bear Creek Minestrone soup mix
6 cups water
1 small can V-8 vegetable juice
1 can Campbell's beef broth
1/2 bag frozen green beans
2 16oz cans dark red kidney beans, liquid included
large handful of whole grain rotini (uncooked)

Heat water to boiling; whisk in the minestrone soup mix.  Add the V8 juice, beef broth, frozen green beans, kidney beans and uncooked rotini noodles.  Simmer for 20 minutes, serve with your favorite rolls, biscuits or do what I did - I buttered some leftover sub buns and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, and ran them under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes.  Delicious!