CALORIE COUNT: 228 WITH PASTA 313
Minestrone literally means “big soup”—and that’s exactly what you’ll get from this recipe. This is the heartland of FastDiet cooking: filling but full of sunny flavor and packed with vital vitamins. The vegetables in a minestrone can, of course, vary according to your preference and what’s in season. Try curly kale instead of spinach, asparagus instead of green beans, and chickpeas or favas instead of cannellini, or throw in a handful of frozen peas toward the end of cooking. For speed and simplicity, you could simply add handfuls of frozen vegetables to your broth—peas, corn kernels, carrots, broccoli. Sacrifice the pasta if you want to save on calories and GL. For minestrone verde, leave out the tomatoes, stick to green veggies, and bump up the stock by 100ml/scant 1/2 cup.
Serves 4
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 small leek, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 quart/1 liter vegetable or chicken stock
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
31/2 ounces/100g small pasta, such as orecchiette or conchigliette
One 14-ounce/400g can diced tomatoes
5 ounces/150g cooked cannellini beans
31/2 ounces/100g thin green beans, chopped
1 zucchini, diced
31/2 ounces/100g baby spinach leaves
Fresh oregano and basil leaves
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons grated Parmesan, for serving
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and sauté the onion and garlic till softened. Add the celery, leek, and carrots and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more, till golden and flavorful. Add the stock, bouillon cube, and bay leaf, and bring to a boil. Add the pasta, if using, and cook for 4 minutes. Reduce the heat and add the tomatoes, cannellini beans, green beans, and zucchini. Simmer for 2 to 4 minutes (depending on the cooking time of your chosen pasta), then add the spinach leaves, herbs, and seasoning. Serve with a little Parmesan and more fresh herbs.
NB
IF YOU WANT A LITTLE CARBOHYDRATE BUT FEWER CALORIES, SWAP THE PASTA FOR POTATO, WHICH WILL ADD ONLY 18.