Italian Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

1/2 small green cabbage, rinsed and sliced

6 Swiss chard leaves, rinsed and sliced

1/4 cup cooked ham, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 ribs celery, chopped

2 large carrots, chopped

2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 small zucchini, diced

1 (28) ounce can Italian tomatoes, chopped, with their juice

1 tablespoon GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

6 cups vegetable or beef broth

1 (19 ounce) can white cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup rice, uncooked

salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Honey Tips

How Honey is Made

To make honey, bees drop the collected nectar into the honeycomb and then evaporate it by fanning their wings.

Directions

Steam cabbage and Swiss chard in 2 Tablespoons of water for about 15 minutes, until crisp tender. Set aside. In a soup kettle, sauté ham, garlic, parsley and onion in olive oil for 8 minutes. Add next 7 ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, or until vegetables are just tender. Add cabbage, Swiss chard and beans. Bring to a simmer. Add rice and cook an additional 15 minutes. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese. Serves 4-6.