Zucchini Soup Recipe

You asked for it, so here it is!  This recipe comes from my mother in law, who is by far one of the best cooks I know.  It's a lot to live up to... my husband had it really good growing up!

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
2 boxes of stock (I use one chicken and one beef)
1 pint of water
1 large can of diced tomatoes
2 medium zucchini (about 6 cups, in bite size pieces)
1 lb hot italian sausage
1 can garbanzo beans (optional)
1 cup dry pasta(optional)

Directions:
1. brown the sausage in frying pan, or right in your soup pot. Remove and set aside.
2. add a little oil and all of the veggies EXCEPT for the zucchini. Cook over medium heat until soft.
3. Transfer to soup pot if necessary. Add broth, tomatoes, and  water. bring to a boil.
4. Add zucchini and boil until soft.
5. Add sausage.
6. If using beans and/or pasta, add these last and boil until pasta is cooked and/or beans are warmed through.
7. Garnish with fresh herbs (parsley and basil work nicely) and serve with nice crusty bread.

This soup freezes really well. I let it cool down and scoop it into Tupperware containers and then freeze. Leave out the pasta if you plan to freeze this soup though; it will get mushy when you reheat it.