Mark’s Kick-butt Minestrone Soup

When Paul says, “If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink,” he does not mean, “Let’s all become lechers.” He means, there is a normal, simple, comfortable, ordinary life of human delights that we may enjoy with no troubling thoughts of heaven or hell or sin or holiness or God – if there is no resurrection from the dead. And what stunned me about this train of thought is that many professing Christians seem to aim at just this, and call it Christianity. Paul did not see his relation to Christ as the key to maximizing his physical comforts and pleasures in this life. No, Paul’s relation to Christ was a call to choose suffering – a suffering that was beyond what would make atheism “meaningful” or “beautiful” or “heroic.” It was a suffering that would have been utterly foolish and pitiable to choose if there is no resurrection into the joyful presence of Christ… Judge for yourself. How many Christians do you know who could say, “The lifestyle I have chosen as a Christian would be utterly foolish and pitiable if there is no resurrection?”

John Piper

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Meats, Grains, Dairy	Italian		1	Servings

INGREDIENTS

2		Stalks celery
2	T	Fresh chopped Italian
		parsley
1		12 oz. V8 juice
1		Crushed tomatoes
6	c	Chicken stock
3	c	Beef stock
1	c	Dry white wine
3		Carrots, 1/4 inch slice
2		Idaho potatoes, 1/2 inch
		dice
1		Chopped leek, white plus 1
		inch green
5		Chopped plum tomatoes
2	c	Finely sliced cabbage
1		Green squash, 1/4 inch slice
1		Yellow squash, 1/4 inch
		slice
2	c	Italian green beans*
1	c	Corn*
1	c	Small red beans*
1	c	Small white beans*
1	c	Garbanzos*
1		Coarsely chopped green
		pepper
2		Coarsely chopped onions
5		Cloves garlic, finely minced
2	T	Lightly salted butter
		Salt and fresh ground pepper
		to taste
1	t	Dried oregano
1	t	Dried basil
		Crushed red pepper to taste
		optional
1	qt	Cooked pasta, small shells
		or elbows
		Grated Parmesan or Romano
		cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

Canned or frozen may be substituted  Preparation    Melt butter in
large soup pot. When melted, add minced garlic and  let saute for a
minute, then add leek, onion, green pepper & carrot.  simmer covered
for 10 or 15 minutes to wilt vegetables.    Add tomatoes, potatoes,
celery, cabbage, squash, stock, & V8. bring  to a boil, stirring
occasionally.    Add red & white beans, corn, green beans and
garbanzos, and bring  to a slow boil again. Add salt, pepper, oregano,
basil, red pepper,  wine and parsley. Let simmer for 1/2 hour.    in a
separate pot bring 2 qt water to a boil. cook pasta til almost  done
(do not overcook, it will continue to soften in the soup). Drain  pasta
thoroughly and add to soup. Serve with Italian bread and  garnish with
grated cheese and chopped parsley. Posted to FOODWINE  Digest 22 Jan 97
by =Mark <mstevens@EXIT109.COM> on Jan 22, 1997.

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