Shells and Veggies Soup

Need something to warm you up this winter?

This recipe always works for me. Plus, it has tons of veggies in it (without the veggie taste), so it is a good way to get your serving of vegetables for the day. Trust me, my hubby is pretty much an anti veggie eater and he loves this soup.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1/2 tsp. vegetable oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 clove garlic, chopped
(I usually substitute garlic powder - conversions to cloves are usually on the bottle)
1 can (14 oz.) chicken broth
1 can (14 oz.) crushed or diced tomatoes
1/4 cup small shell pasta
2 Tbsp. dried parsley
1/4 cup chopped frozen spinach
1/4 cup cubed zucchini
1/2 cup chopped carrots (or 10 baby carrots chopped)
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp. fresh grated Parmesan cheese (to sprinkle over top)

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add chicken broth, tomatoes, parsley, basil, and oregano to saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered for 10 minutes.
3. Add spinach, carrots, celery, and pasta. Cook 10 minutes covered at a low boil. Add zucchini and cook 7 more minutes.
4. Test for doneness by forking vegetables and pasta to see if tender. Continue to cook if needed.
5. Spoon into a bread bowl; add salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese to taste.

ENJOY!

One great thing about this recipe is that if you don't like something in it, you can easily change or modify it. The only thing I modify is the carrots. I am not a huge cooked carrot fan, so I usually do 5 baby carrots instead of 10, but like I said it is up to you and what you like.