Healthy Minestrone

Fresh zucchini and tomatoes are wonderful together. Add some chopped peppers, fresh herbs, beans, pasta shells, bulgar, kale, spinach and fresh mustard greens and you have a delicious soup that is packed with nutrition. The olive oil and the fresh basil do amazing things for the broth and the lemon juice adds great taste. This is not the time to use up all those wilted limp carrots or tired looking vegetables in the refrigerator. Choose the sweetest young carrots and the finest greens you can find to get the best flavor and taste. Your family will thank you for it. There is no real substitute for the fresh herbs both from a standpoint of taste and nutrition. Dry powdered oregano cannot compare to the fragrance or the taste of fresh oregano. Canned tomatoes are fine if you don’t have fresh, but be sure the chicken stock is fat free. If you make your own chicken stock you can put it in the refrigerator and the fat will lift cleanly off when it is cold. Canned fat-free chicken stock is fine, but if you have the time to make your own, the flavor of good homemade chicken stock is worth the effort.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 small red or yellow onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced or put through a press
1 yellow or red pepper, diced
2 celery ribs chopped
2 carrots diced or roughly chopped
2 small zucchini, finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh oregano
pinch red pepper flakes
1 14-ounce can diced stewed tomatoes or 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
1 14-ounce can chickpeas, drained
1 14-ounce can kidney beans, drained
1/2 cup small pasta shells such as rice shaped orzo
1/4 cup fine bulgar
1 cup of fresh kale, stemmed and roughly chopped
1 cup of fresh mustard greens stemmed and roughly chopped
1 cup of fresh spinach, stemmed and roughly chopped

4 cups good homemade fat-free chicken stock

juice of one large lemon, about ¼ cup

1/2 cup fresh basil, stemmed and roughly chopped

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Saute onions, garlic, carrots and celery in olive oil in a large stockpot until transparent. Add the zucchini, salt, pepper fresh herbs, and red pepper flakes and saute for 5 minutes. Next add the tomatoes, chickpeas, kidney beans, and enough chicken stock and water to cover by a couple inches. Bring to a simmer, and add the pasta shells and bulgar. Simmer until the pasta is tender. Add more water if needed then add the chopped kale, mustard greens, spinach, and lemon juice. Cook only until the fresh greens are wilted. Do not overcook. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, Parmesan cheese, fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil on top. Enjoy!