So recently my body has been telling me that it doesn’t quite like all the junk I’ve been passing off as fuel.  All those Christmas cookies I had for lunch last month did not do a body good.  I started off 2012 with a juice cleanse and since then I’ve been eating clean and feeling sooo much better.  I called my sister, who is one of the healthiest eaters I know, to ask her for some dinner ideas.  Even though I’m digging vegetables, doesn’t mean my family is too, so dinners have to pass a certain taste test.

She says her family loves minestrone soup and it has all the nutrition our bodies will thank us for later.

Here’s the recipe that I used from the Food Network website:

Ingredients

  • 3 cups reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 1 (15-ounce) can white (cannellini or navy) beans, drained
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 1 cup onion, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Salt and ground black pepper
  • 2 cups cooked ditalini pasta
  • 1 medium zucchini, chopped
  • 2 cups coarsely chopped fresh or frozen spinach, defrosted
  • 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
  • Basil sprigs, garnish, optional

Directions

In a slow cooker, combine broth, tomatoes, beans, carrots, celery, onion, thyme, sage, bay leaves, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.

Thirty minutes before the soup is done cooking, add ditalini, zucchini and spinach. Cover and cook 30 more minutes. Remove bay leaves and season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle parmesan cheese over top. Garnish with basil, if desired.

This is such a great rainy day dish.  It wasn’t the type of soup where everyone left the dinner table hungry.  It’s super satisfying…especially with a piece of french bread.  You DID NOT hear me say that.  I mean my children had a piece of french bread.