Recipe Box - Soups
Italian Vegetable Soup
Soup! The best comfort food around on a cold winter day or night. This minestrone-style soup is hearty, healthy and satisfying, loaded with veggies and pasta, and makes a delicious one-pot meal.
Submitted by: Holly Clegg, author of Too Hot in the Kitchen: Secrets To Sizzle At Any Age.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped green pepper
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped red onion
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped celery
- 1 cup small zucchini chunks
- 2 ounces prosciutto, chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 cup peeled carrots, cut in small chunks or baby carrots
- 6 cups fat-free chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 (15-ounce) can white navy beans, rinsed and drained
- 3/4 cup small penne pasta
- 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
- 1 cup packed baby spinach leaves
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Grated Parmesan cheese, optional
Preparation
- In a nonstick pot coated with nonstick spray, heat olive oil and sauté green pepper, onion, and celery, about 5 minutes.
- Add zucchini, prosciutto, garlic and carrots; continue to sauté another 3-5 minutes or until tender.
- Add broth, tomatoes, and beans; bring to boil.
- Add pasta and continue to cook 6-8 minutes or until pasta is tender.
- Add basil and spinach, stirring until spinach is wilted. Season to taste.
- Serve with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Each recipe makes 8 (1 cup) servings.
Baker’s Tip: When reheating, add more broth if too thick. For a vegetarian option, omit prosciutto and use vegetable broth.
Nutritional Analysis (per serving)
- 159 calories (18% calories from fat)
- 3 g fat
- 1 g saturated fat
- 6 mg cholesterol
- 738 mg sodium
- 24 g carbohydrates
- 6 g dietary fiber
- 5 g sugar
- 10 g protein
- Dietary exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 lean meat
