Imagine a soup that provides a whole meal in one bowl and takes only 30 minutes to make. That's the beauty of this Winter Casserole Soup, a thick and hearty soup made with vegetables, pasta and red kidney beans.
Soup is a great way to brighten a winter evening. My family loves a bowl of soup, no matter what the weather. You can make this a vegetarian meal by using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
I find that this tastes great the second day. You can make double the recipe and have another quick meal waiting for you. If you make it in advance or are rewarming on the second night, it might become thick. Just add more broth while rewarming.
Winter Casserole Soup
- 2 cups fat-free, low-salt chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 2 1/2 cups canned diced tomatoes, including juice
- 1 cup sliced yellow onion
- 1/2 cup sliced carrots
- 1 cup sliced ribs celery
- 1 cup sliced white cabbage
- 2 ounces (1 cup) uncooked fusilli pasta
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 cups fresh washed, ready-to-eat spinach
- 1 1/2 cups rinsed and drained canned red kidney beans
- 2 ounces shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese ( 1/2 cup)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Sour dough or whole-grain bread
Heat the oven to warm the bread. Bring the chicken broth, water and tomatoes to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery. Cover, lower the heat to medium-high, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the cabbage and fusilli and boil, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Mix the horseradish and vinegar together. Add to the soup with the spinach and beans. Boil for 1 minute. The pasta will be cooked. The spinach will just be wilted. Add the cheese, and season with salt and pepper. Place the bread in the oven to warm.
Makes 2 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 535 calories, 7 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 15 milligrams cholesterol, 30 grams protein, 93 grams carbohydrates, 21 grams dietary fiber, 1,585 milligrams sodium.
SHOPPING LIST:
To buy: 1 large can diced tomatoes, 1 15.5-ounce can red kidney beans, 1 bag sliced white cabbage, 1 small package fusilli pasta, 1 jar horseradish, 1 small package washed, ready-to-eat fresh spinach, 1 bunch celery, 1 small package low fat shredded cheddar cheese and 1 sour dough or whole grain bread.
Staples: Fat-free, low-salt chicken broth, yellow onion, sliced carrots, balsamic vinegar, salt and black peppercorns.
Helpful Hints:
- Onion, carrots and celery can be bought already sliced in the produce section or slice all of the vegetables in a food processor fitted with a thick slicing blade.
- A few drops of hot pepper sauce can be used instead of horseradish.
- Any type of cheese can be substituted for the cheddar cheese.
Countdown:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees for bread.
- Make soup.
