Recipe: Italian Vegetable Soup and Double Cheese Toasts

For today's Meatless Monday, I decided to make a soup, and The Girl chipped in and helped me. 

This is a winner recipe that I will absolutely make again.

I based this recipe on one I've made before from a cookbook by Rachael Ray (it's a really fun cookbook!)  I modified it to be meatless, and to use what we had on hand.  The recipe as we used it is below.

Italian Vegetable Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil
Rind from Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (cheese used in the toasts below)
2 cloves garlic
1 small onion
1 1/2 c three cheese pasta sauce or marinara sauce
7 c water
1 Tbsp Vegetable Better-than-bouillon (or use all vegetable broth)
1 tsp King Arthur Flour pizza seasoning (or Italian seasoning)
1 c frozen mixed vegetables
2 c bowtie pasta (or other shape)
salt and pepper to taste

In a soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Chop the garlic and the onion and saute until soft and lightly browned.  Add the remaining ingredients (including the rind) except the pasta and bring to a boil.  Stir in the pasta and cook until they are at the desired consistency.  Serve (leaving the rind in the pot) with Double Cheese Toasts - recipe below.

Double Cheese Toasts

6 slices of whole wheat bread
2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 c shredded Parmigiano
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 450 F.  Spread some butter on one side of each piece of bread and place, butter side down on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle the bread with half the Parmigiano, then with the cheddar, and finally top with the rest of the Parm.  Bake for about 5 minutes, then broil for less than a minute, until nicely toasted.  Wonderful dipped into Italian Vegetable Soup.