Minestrone Soup

There was a chill in the air today, and the first thing that comes to mind...soup! I love soup because it is filling and if you stick to the water-based soups you can get a low calorie meal full of veggies and lean protein. I found this recipe online for Minestrone soup that reminds me a lot of a recipe that my mom used to make. Give it a try :)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 5 carrots, chopped
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14 ounce) can vegetable broth (you could also use chicken broth here)
  
• 1 1/2 quarts water
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (or any other small shaped pasta you may have)

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir potatoes, carrots, celery, onion and garlic into pot. Mix in tomato paste, beans, broth and water. Season with basil, oregano and salt. Cook and stir 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Mix macaroni into pot. Continue cooking 10 minutes, or until macaroni is tender.
*note* you really can add any vegetables you want to this to up your veggie servings for the day. Also, to save yourself time pre-cook the pasta while the rest of the soup is cooking and then stir it in at the end.

Nutrition Information: 1 cup of soup
216 calories. 2.9 grams of fat. 6.9 grams of fiber. 6.9 grams of protein.