Hearty Minestrone Soup South Beach Diet Recipe

Hearty Minestrone Soup South Beach Diet Recipe

Minestrone is a classic favorite Italian soup recipe. But South Beach Diet has made it one of our staple Phase 2 dishes. (It's suitable for Phase 1 of The South Beach Diet if you leave out the pasta). Delectable vegetables, flavorful spices and aromatics rule here, and with the finishing touch of Parmesan cheese in place, you'll never want for a better minestrone soup recipe. Try this South Beach Diet Italian recipe and you'll never think the same way about vegetable soup again!

Serves 4

Ingredients
This recipe calls for ditalini or small shell pasta, but any other small, shaped pasta will work equally well. If you leave the pasta out, it's a Phase 1 dish.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 leeks, white and green parts, white halved lengthwise, rinsed and thinly sliced, green parts chopped
2 ribs celery with leaves, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups Swiss chard, chopped
1 cup green beans, cut into 1" pieces
1/4 cup whole wheat ditalini or small shell pasta
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1/2 cup sliced zucchini
4 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
4 sprigs oregano, for garnish

Instructions
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leeks, celery, minced garlic, dried oregano, pepper, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften.

Add the broth, Swiss chard, green beans, and pasta. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 8 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the pasta is al dente.

Meanwhile, in a cup, combine the chopped garlic with the parsley. Stir into the soup along with the zucchini. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, or until heated through.

Ladle the soup into 4 bowls and top each with 1 teaspoon of the cheese. Garnish with the oregano sprigs.

Nutritional Information:
138 calories
6 total fat (1 g sat)
1 mg cholesterol
17 g carbohydrate
5 g protein
3 g fiber
988 mg sodium