Eat for Eight Bucks: Minestrone Recipe

Name: Eat for Eight Bucks: Minestrone Recipe
Ingredients: 1 cup dried cannellini, borlotti, or garbanzo beans; Olive oil; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped; 2 celery stalks, finely chopped; 1/2 head cabbage, chopped into bite-size pieces; 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped; 5 thyme sprigs; 1 bay leaf; 2 teaspoons salt; 1 pound turnips, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces, greens washed and chopped if attached; 1/2 pound yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces; Grated Parmesan cheese to garnish (optional)