Minestrone

Total Time: 30 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• 1 (28 ounce) can italian-style diced tomatoes
• 2 cups water
• 1 (14 -15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained (chickpeas)
• 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth or 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 medium yellow sweet pepper, chopped
• 2 teaspoons italian seasoning or dried basil and garlic powder
• 1 cup dry rigatoni pasta or 1 cup penne pasta
• 2 -3 cups baby spinach
• shaved parmesan cheese (optional)
• fresh basil (optional)

Recipe

• 1 in a dutch oven combine the tomatoes, water, beans, broth, sweet pepper, seasoning, and pasta. bring to boiling over high heat. reduce heat to medium. cook, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, just until pasta is barely tender.
• 2 stir in spinach. ladle into soup bowl. top with parmesan cheese and/or fresh basil.
• 3 change up:.
• 4 for a heartier version of this soup, substitute browned italian sausage or cut-up chicken for the garbanzo beans. vary the greens by swapping chopped fresh chard or kale for the spinach.