Pasta & Bean Soup
Round out this hearty soup with toasted whole-wheat country bread and a green salad. For a meatier flavor, add a little crumbled cooked Italian turkey sausage to the soup.
Ingredients:
4 14-ounce cans reduced-sodium chicken broth
6 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
4 4-inch sprigs fresh rosemary or 1 tablespoon dried
1/8-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 15 1/2-ounce or 19-ounce can cannellini beans (white kidney beans), rinsed
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup medium pasta shells or orecchiette
2 cups individually quick-frozen spinach (6 ounces) (see Note)
6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese (1 ounce)
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Combine broth, garlic, rosemary and crushed red pepper in a 4- to 6-quart Dutch oven or soup pot; bring to a simmer. Partially cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes to intensify flavor. Meanwhile, mash 1 cup beans in a small bowl.
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Scoop garlic cloves and rosemary from the broth with a slotted spoon (or pass through a strainer and return to the pot). Add mashed and whole beans to the broth, along with tomatoes; return to a simmer. Stir in pasta, cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is just tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
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Stir in spinach, cover and cook just until the spinach has thawed, 2 to 3 minutes. Ladle into bowls and garnish each serving with a drizzle of oil, if desired, and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
Makes 6 main-dish servings, 1 1/3 cups each.
Per serving: 205 calories; 4 g fat (2 g sat, 0 g mono); 10 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrate; 13 g protein; 5 g fiber; 523 mg sodium…check with your Dr. to determine appropriate sodium level.
Nutrition bonus: 45% daily value vitamin A, 20% dv fiber, 140 mg calcium (15% dv).
Variation: Substitute chickpeas (garbanzo beans) for the cannellini beans; use a food processor to puree them.
B-man 