Minestrone with Endive & Pepperoni

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh or frozen (thawed) bell peppers, any color
5 cups beef broth
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2/3 cup whole-wheat elbow noodles or other small pasta
1 pound frozen mixed soup (or stew) vegetables (including potatoes, carrots, celery, onion), thawed, chopped
1 cup frozen baby lima beans, thawed
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion
1/2 cup diced pepperoni
3 cups lightly packed coarsely chopped curly endive or chard, tough stems removed
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

My recipe calls for 20 1/8" thick slices of pepperoni... couldn't find a way to track a half-cup measurement. Also, my recipe uses standard beef broth, but you can opt for low-sodium to reduce the sodium intake in this recipe!

Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add broth, oregano and thyme; bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook for 3 minutes less than the package directions.

Add mixed soup (or stew) vegetables and lima beans. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; boil until the vegetables are almost tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, pepperoni and endive (or chard); return to a boil. Adjust the heat and simmer until the endive (or chard) is just tender, about 5 minutes. Season with pepper and garnish with Parmesan, if desired.

Serving Size: Makes six servings, about 1.5 cups each

Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user LADYPIXEL.