Italian Bean Soup

Serves 2

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 2 large crushed garlic cloves
• 1 1/2 cups reduced sodium vegetable broth
• 2 cups rinsed and drained cannellini beans
• 1 cup canned reduced sodium plum tomatoes
• Salt and pepper
• 3/4 cup orecchiette pasta
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Saute until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add broth, beans, and tomatoes. Break up tomatoes with the edge of a spoon. Bring to a simmer, lower heat to medium and cover pan with a lid. Simmer 5 minutes. While soup cooks, bring a large pot 3/4 full of water to a boil and add the pasta. Boil 8 minutes or according to package instructions. Drain. When soup is ready, add the pasta and simmer 3 minutes. Ladle warm soup into two soup bowls. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine ingredients in bowl. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

Per serving: 574 calories (16 percent from fat), 10.1 g fat (2.2 g saturated, 3.8 g monounsaturated), 4 mg cholesterol, 28.4 g protein,97.4 g carbohydrates, 18.6 g fiber, 243 mg sodium.