Country Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

* 2 quarts water
* 2 cans (10-1/2 ounces each) condensed French onion soup, undiluted
* 1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
* 3 cups chopped zucchini
* 1 cup diced carrots
* 1 cup sliced celery
* 1 cup diced peeled potato
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
* 1 bay leaf
* 1/2 teaspoon each dried basil, thyme and marjoram
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
* 2 cups broken uncooked wide egg noodles
* 2 cans (15 ounces each) butter beans, rinsed and drained
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 4 cups cubed cooked roast beef, optional

Directions

* In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, combine water, soup, tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, celery, potato, parsley, garlic, bouillon and seasonings; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add bacon and noodles; simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in beans, Parmesan cheese and beef if desired; heat through. Remove bay leaf before serving. Yield: 18-20 servings (5 quarts).