Fall Minestrone

1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 garlic cloves , chopped
3 portabella mushroom caps , chopped
2 medium onions , chopped
2 medium carrots , peeled and diced
2 celery ribs , chopped with greens
salt
fresh ground black pepper
2 stalks fresh rosemary
8 fresh sage leaves , thinly sliced
1 medium zucchini , diced
4 -5 cups kale or 4 -5 cups chard leaves , trimmed of tough ends and veins and coarsely chopped
1 (15 ounce) can great northern beans , drained
1 (14 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1 quart chicken broth
2 cups vegetable broth

*I inflated the vegetable amount in the calorie counter because I always end up adding more celery/carrot/zucchini since it makes the soup last longer

*You also can add a pasta to this dish once your broths come to a boil, but I prefer the low calorie veggie only version

Heat a soup pot over med-high heat; add olive oil.

(ADD MEAT HERE IF YOU CHOOSE TO DO SO. My Favorite is ground Italian sausage, but you could add chicken, turkey, ground beef. This will almost double the calorie count) Once meat is done ...

Add in the red pepper flakes, garlic, mushrooms, onions, carrots, and celery; cook 5-6 minutes, until mushrooms are lightly browned.

Season with salt and pepper; add in rosemary stems and sage leaves if you have them; add in zucchini and chopped kale; stir them in to the pot until all the greens wilt down, 2-3 minutes.

Add in the beans, tomatoes, broths, cover with lid and bring to a boil.

Remove pot from heat, adjust salt/pepper to taste.

Ladle soup into shallow bowls

ORIGINAL VERSION:
is Rachael Ray Fall Minestrone, but I lightened it up.


Serving Size: Makes 4 servings of 546 grams

Number of Servings: 4

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user EMILEEBDAVIS.