1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, sliced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 stalks celery, diced
2 (15 ounce) cans vegetable broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon parsley
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 to 2 cups elbow macaroni noodles
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas
1 cup vegetable juice
1 (15 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, optional
1 cup fresh or frozen spinach
5 cremini mushrooms, diced
1. Heat a little water in a big pot, then add onion and carrots, stirring occasionally. Add more water if necessary. The water is just to keep them from sticking to the pot, so you don't need much, but it evaporates quickly.
2. Add green pepper, celery, and garlic. Sauté until they reach the tenderness you desire. Add vegetable broth and soy sauce, and bring to a boil. Add spices, and stir.
3. Once it's boiling and starting to smell pretty good, add macaroni and chickpeas. Stir and turn down heat to simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add vegetable juice and a little water if you think too much was absorbed by the pasta. Add tomatoes.
4. Add the spinach and mushrooms last and stir quite often until the spinach is mixed in and thawed (if using frozen).
Source of recipe: I made this recipe as a sort of alternative to chicken noodle soup, so it's good when you're not feeling well or just need to warm up!