Choose a stockpot large enough for all the ingredients. Put in the
oil, butter and sliced onion and cook over medium low heat until the
onion wilts and is pale gold in color but not browned. Add the diced
carrots and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring once or twice. repeat

this procedure with the celery, potatoes, white beans (if fresh),
zucchini, and green beans, cooking each one a few minutes before
adding the next. Then add the cabbage and cook for about 6 minutes,
giving the pot an occasional stir.

Add the broth, the tomatoes and their juice and a little bit of salt.
(go easy on the salt, especially if you are using canned broth; you
can always correct the seasoning later.) Cover and cook at a slow
boil for at least 3 hours.

If necessary, you can stop the cooking and resume it later on.
(Minestrone must never be thin and watery, so cook until it is soupy
thick. If you should find that it has become to thick, you can add
another cup of homemade broth or water. Do NOT add more canned
broth.) 15 minutes before the soup is done, add the canned or cooked
dry beans (if you are not using fresh ones). Just before turning off
the heat, swirl in the grated cheese, then taste and correct for salt.

Minestrone soup is even better when warmed up the next day. It keeps
up to a week in the refrigerator.