Recipe: Minestrone

Okay, so we might have a proclivity at our house towards sweets and baked goods, but we also love good stuff... healthy stuff, too! Sometimes I hear mom's say they can't get their kids to eat veggies. Or, that it's too hard to cook healthy. Well, I'm here to tell you, it doesn't have to be impossible. Not only will my kids eat this, they LOVE IT, and, it's easy enough, they can make it themselves! 

MINESTRONE - 
*Sugar free   *Vegetarian

(This makes enough to feed our family of 6 twice. We eat half, then freeze the other half for a healthy, quick meal later.) 

Ingredients -  
3 Tbs olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion
1/2 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup cut green beans (I use a can or frozen)
1/4 cup minced celery
4 tea minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cans kidney beans, drained
2 cans great northern beans, drained
2 cans diced tomatoes
1/2 cup carrots, julienned or chopped
2 Tbs minced fresh parsley
1 1/2 tea dried oregeno
1 1/2 tea salt
1/2 tea ground black pepper
1/2 tea dried basil
1/4 tea dried thyme
4 cups hot water
4 cups fresh Baby Spinich
1/2 cup small pasta shells



Step One:
Put oil and onion in bottom of large soup pot. Cook until onions are clear.

Step Two:
Add vegetables, beans, broth, water, and spices. Boil for 15 minutes.

Step Three: 
Add fresh spinach and dry pasta shells. Boil over med-high heat for 20 min. Serve warm.


NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:  MINESTRONE
Number of servings = 12 (about 1 1/2 cups each)
Calories per serving = 160
Carbs = 31
Fat = 1
Protein = 8 

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:  TOMATO SOUP
Number of servings = 8
Calories per serving = 19
Carbs = 4
Fat = 0
Protein = 1