Tuscan Vegetable Soup

I'm always up for a bowl of good soup. My friend Audrey sent me this Tuscan Vegetable soup recipe earlier this week and I thought I'd give it a try. And I'm glad I did. Here's the recipe.

Chuck helps me chop a mountain of vegetables while Bella watches...

One 15.5 ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced (1 cup)
1 medium carrot, diced (1/2 cup)
2 stalks of celery, diced (1/2 cup)
1/2 bulb fennel, trimmed and diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon thyme (I used more)
1/2 teaspoon sage (I used more)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (I used more)
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
2 ounces baby spinach leaves, rustic chopped, about 2 cups lightly packed
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Put olive oil in the bottom of a heavy soup pot. Saute garlic, onion, carrot, celery, and fennel until soft, but still a little crunchy. Pour in beans, diced tomatoes, broth, and spices to taste.

A few minutes before serving, stir in the zucchini and spinach.

Garnish with Parmesan cheese. Serve with sourdough bread. Yum. Yum.

Fresh dried sage and thyme

Our new secret weapon we found at Whole Foods

The healthiest soup ever?

I made a double batch, but between me, Chuck and Tiffany, we ate half so I only froze about three servings. This soup has a rich hearty vegetable quality to it. Adding the fennel and zucchini to the usual staples is a nice touch. Only thing I'll do differently next time is to add barley in place of the beans. I love cannellini beans, but they kinda turned to mush. This is going to be my go-to healthy soup now. Thanks Audrey!