Recipe: Hearty Minestrone Soup

This tasty, filling Italian soup is packed with nutrient-rich veggies, heart-healthy olive oil and fiber-friendly legumes. Let it warm you up in the fall and winter, and fill it with fresh vegetables from your garden in the summer. Enjoy it all year long

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced (or 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder)
1 1/3 cups coarsely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped celery and leaves
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 cup sliced carrots, fresh or frozen
4 3/4 cups shredded cabbage
1 can (16 ounces) tomatoes, cut up
1 cup canned red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
1 1/2 cups fresh green beans
Dash of hot sauce
11 cups water
2 cups uncooked spaghetti noodles

Directions

1. Heat oil in a 4-quart saucepan.
2. Add garlic, onion and celery, and sauté about 5 minutes.
3. Add all remaining ingredients except spaghetti, and stir until ingredients are well-mixed.
4. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer about 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
5. Add uncooked spaghetti and simmer 2-3 minutes only.

Nutrition information (per serving)

Makes 16 servings

Calories: 260
Total fat: 4 g
Saturated fat: 0 g
Sodium: 191 mg
Protein: 11 g
Carbohydrate: 45 g
Sugar: 7 g
Dietary fiber: 8 g

—Recipe courtesy of Stay Young at Heart (National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute)