Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or large pot. Add the chopped onions and diced onions, sprinkle with salt. Saute for 5 minutes, or until the onions and mushrooms have softened.
Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring continuously to prevent burning.
Pour in the elbow pasta, kidney beans, crushed tomatoes (with juices), tomato sauce, and vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer. Simmer uncovered until pasta is tender, about 12 minutes.
Stir in the cheddar cheese. Serve topped with chopped green onions. Enjoy!
Notes
I use light red kidney beans and dark red kidney beans. Alternately, you can use whatever bean you have on hand, like black beans or white beans. To keep the sodium down, choose cans labeled "reduced sodium" or "no added salt". Choose low sodium vegetable broth and add salt to taste at the end.