Day 6: Tuscan Vegetable Soup with Toasted French Bread

This is one of those meals I talked about when I shared on time-saving tips. I made this soup in the slower cooker- put all the ingredients in early in the morning, set the timer for 8 hours on low, came home and it was done. I made this several weeks ago and froze the leftovers. It's currently in the microwave defrosting.

And for the side? I bought some whole wheat french bread, topped it with sliced Gruyère Cheese, toasted under the broiler for a couple minutes, and voila! Dinner is served!

Tuscan Vegetable Soup 

•  1 (15-ounce) low-sodium cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 2 carrots, diced (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 stalks celery, diced, (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 small zucchini, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can no salt added diced tomatoes
• 2 cups chopped baby spinach leaves
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan, optional

Directions

In a small bowl mash half of the beans with a masher or the back of a spoon, and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, garlic, thyme, sage, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the broth and tomatoes with the juice and bring to a boil. Add the mashed and whole beans and the spinach leaves and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes more.

Serve topped with Parmesan, if desired. 

 Serves 6

Per Serving(only the soup): Calories:143, Fat:4g, Protein:8g, Carbs:20g, Fiber:5g, Chol:0mg, Sodium: 323mg

Excellent Source of: Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C 

Good Source of: Iron, Magnesium, Niacin, Phosphorus, and Protein

This is a great recipe to experiment with. For example, I did not use sage or celery. You can experiment with other herbs such as Rosemary, Oregano, and Basil. As I mentioned, you can also prepare ahead in a slow-cooker for an instant meal in the evening.


Tip of the Day: Learn to cook to save money. If you've already been cooking more at home versus going out to eat, you already know how this can save you money. If not, what are you waiting for???