• 1/3 cup onions, chopped
• 1/3 cup green bell pepper, chopped
• 3/4 tsp. garlic, crushed
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1-1/4 tsp. olive oil
• 1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
• 1 cup water
• 11 ounces canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1-1/4 cups canned Italian style stewed tomatoes
• 11 ounces frozen Italian-style vegetable combination
• 3/4 tsp. dried basil leaves
• 1/2 cup small shell pasta
• 2/3 cup spinach leaves, loosely packed

Sauté onion, pepper, garlic, and red pepper in oil in large saucepan until tender, 3-4 minutes. Stir in beef broth, water, beans, tomatoes, Italian vegetables, and basil; heat to boiling. Add pasta and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables and pasta are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir spinach into soup; simmer 1-2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If desired, add a teaspoon of prepared pesto sauce into each bowl of soup.

Note: You can substitute frozen chopped onion, green pepper, and prepared garlic. You can prepare soup 1-2 days in advance; refrigerate, covered.

Courtesy American Dry Bean Board.

Per serving: calories 230, fat 2.4g, 9% calories from fat, cholesterol 0mg, protein 11.9g, carbohydrates 43.1g, fiber 9.2g, sugar 7.4g, sodium 499mg, diet points 3.5.

Dietary Exchanges: Milk: 0.0, Vegetable: 1.5, Fruit: 0.0, Bread: 2.2, Lean meat: 0.0, Fat: 0.3, Sugar: 0.0, Very lean meat protein: 1.0

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