Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, cut into bite-size chunks
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 lbs. chicken breast, shredded into bite-size pieces
• 3 carrots, thick-sliced
• 3 stalks celery, thick-sliced
• 2 medium potatoes, thick-sliced
• 2 zucchini squash, thick-sliced
• 1 28-oz. can whole tomatoes
• 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice (or other rice if desired)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground thyme
• 3 quarts water (12 cups)
• 1 cup uncooked medium or large pasta shells
• 1 15-oz. can garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed and any skins removed)
• croutons (for garnish)
• Parmesan cheese (for garnish)

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot, soup kettle or Dutch oven. When oil is hot, add onion and garlic and reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring frequently until tender but not browned (about 3-4 minutes).

Pour tomatoes into a bowl and cut each tomato into quarters. Add tomatoes and their liquid and all other ingredients except pasta shells and garbanzo beans to soup pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a bubbling simmer (low heat). Cover and cook for 1 hour. Add pasta shells and garbanzo beans and cook until pasta shells are cooked and tender.

Serve with croutons and grated Parmesan cheese for topping.