Low Fat Italian Vegetable Soup

Soup makes a perfect lunch. It's filling and highly nutritious. Enjoy this Italian vegetable soup with a green salad drizzled with your favorite low-fat or fat-free dressing.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 2 celery sticks, sliced
• 1 large zucchini, diced
• 1 cup green beans
• 2 tsp dried Italian herbs
• 4 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes, undrained
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans

Preparation:

Heat oil in large Dutch oven or saucepan. Sauté garlic, onions, carrots, celery, zucchini and green beans for 5 minutes. Stir in herbs and cook for 1 minute. Add broth, tomatoes and beans. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes.

Makes 8 cups.

Per cup: Calories 128, Calories from Fat 17, total Fat 2g (sat 0.2g), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 226mg, Carbohydrate 21.3g, Fiber 6.1g, Protein 6.4g

By Fiona Haynes
Source: http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/lunchrecipes/r/italvegsoup.htm