Meatless Monday: Veggistrone

Is it still Winter where you're living?  Here in Ohio I think Mother Nature can't decide if it is Winter or Spring.  Just this past Friday we were greeted with a yucky "wintry mix" of sleet, freezing rain, and snow to start the morning commute and then by the time the evening commute rolled around, it was 50 degrees.  There are also weeks where some days will have a high of 60 while others will be plunged below freezing.  Schizophrenia some?

Good thing I can count on a comforting soup no matter how cold or warm it is outside.  This one is a spin on minestrone.  The main difference is that it lacks the bits of pasta and has a much heartier serving of vegetables per spoonful.  Hence the name "veggistrone", I guess.  Each 2 cup serving of this soup has just 169 calories and is packed with an assortment of colorful vegetables that fill your belly right up!  It was inspired by a popular Weight Watcher's recipe for those of you that are into that.

There's a lot of slicing and dicing involved in making this recipe so to make things easier I actually prepped the ingredients the evening before and then threw everything into the pot the following day for a faster dinner.  It also reheats well so feel free to make it in advance and then heat it from the fridge.  Oh and this recipe makes A LOT.  My giant dutch oven almost overfloweth so it's a good thing that this soup freezes well :).

By the way, have you entered to win my Kona Coffee giveaway yet?  It's easy to enter and you can earn up to 12 entries!

Two Years Ago: Simple Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Soup and Peanut Butter Crisscross Cookies
Three Years Ago: Red Lobster's Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

Veggistrone

Yields: 10 servings (2 cups each)

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onions (2 medium)
• 2 cups chopped celery (4 medium stalks)
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper (1 medium)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups chopped cabbage
• 3 cups chopped cauliflower (about 1/2 medium)
• 2 cups chopped carrots (4 medium)
• 2 cups green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces or frozen, thawend
• 8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz) can kidney or pinto beans, rinsed
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups chopped fresh spinach or 1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Over medium heat, heat oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven (8-quart or larger).  Add onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic.  Cook until softened, 13 to15 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, and green beans.  Cook until slightly softened, about 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
2. Add broth, water, tomato sauce, tomatoes, beans, and bay leaf.  Cover and bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer while partially covered until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.  Stir in the spinach and simmer for 10 minutes more. Discard the bay leaf.  Stir in the basil.
3. Ladle soup into bowls and then top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Source: Eating Well

Per serving (2 cups): 169 calories; 5 g fat ( 1 g sat , 3 g mono ); 4 mg cholesterol; 25 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 7 g protein; 8 g fiber; 641 mg sodium; 718 mg potassium.  Vitamin A (123% daily value), Vitamin C (87% dv), Folate (23% dv), Potassium (21% dv), Calcium (16% dv)