Recipe: Hearty Minestrone Soup

Cold nights call for a hearty soup, and you can't go wrong with our Skinny Minestrone Soup! This is warm, filling vegetarian dinner that packs in 16g of protein per serving thanks to white beans and kidney beans! There are so many things to love about this dish... how beautiful it looks, how many good nutrients are mixed in, and our favorite, how easy it is to freeze! This soup is so easy to reheat for a lunch at work or home!

We love topping this soup with freshly shaved Parmesan, some ground black pepper and a warm, whole wheat or grain baguette slice. If this doesn't scream fall comfort food (made skinny), I don't know what does!

For more skinny soups, check out some of our favorites: Creamy Corn Chowder, Skinny Supreme Pizza Soup and Tortilla Chicken Soup.

Recipe: Hearty Minestrone Soup

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40-45 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Serving size: 1¾ cups

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

• 1 onion, diced

• 1 cup celery, diced (about 3 stalks)

• 1 tablespoons minced garlic

• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes

• 3½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth

• 1 fresh rosemary sprig

• 3 dried bay leaves

• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

• 1 (12-ounce) bag Italian-style frozen vegetables

• 1 (15.5-ounce) can reduced-sodium cannellini beans

• 1 (15.5-ounce) can reduced-sodium kidney beans

• 4 ounces whole grain medium shells (should make 2¼ cups cooked pasta)

• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley (about a small handful)

*Optional:

• reduced-fat shredded Parmesan cheese

*Optional ingredients are not included in nutritional calculations.

Instructions

1. Heat a large stock pot over medium heat and add the oil, onion and celery. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until they begin to get soft.

2. Add the garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes, or until browned.

3. Add the diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, rosemary, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

4. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover for 20 minutes.

5. Add the frozen vegetables, beans, dry pasta and parsley. Recover and simmer an additional 10-15 minutes over low heat until the vegetables are heated through and the pasta is cooked.

6. Taste for seasoning, and then discard the rosemary sprig and bay leaves before serving.

Nutrition Information
Per Serving: (1¾ cups)
Calories: 263
Calories from fat: 13
Fat: 1g
Saturated Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 464mg
Carbohydrates: 51g
Fiber: 14g
Sugar: 10g
Protein: 12g
SmartPoints: 8

3.1

The nutrition content of recipes on Popculture.com have been calculated by Registered Dietitian, Jessica Penner, of Smart Nutrition.