Recipe for Vegetable Soup With Tomatoes

Vegetable Soup Ingredients:

7 ounce tomatoes, diced, fire roasted or diced tomatoes, un-drained
1 cup butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut up
½ medium carrot, chopped
½ cup broccoli florets
½ stalk celery, sliced
½ small zucchini, lengthwise sliced into 2 halves
½ medium onion, chopped
½ can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained (about 8 to 9 ounce)
½ teaspoon garlic, minced
1 ½ chicken broths, reduced sodium and reduced fat (about 7 ounce can)
½ tablespoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ tablespoon fresh oregano, snipped or 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
Parmesan cheese, shredded

Method:

1. Heat oil on medium heat in a Dutch oven. To the heated oil stir celery, carrots, onions, and garlic. Sauté for about 4 to 5 minutes or till the onions are transparent.
2. Add chicken broth, un-drained tomatoes and butternut squash and bring the contents to a boil over medium heat. After a boil reduce the heat and cover the Dutch oven. Simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes. Uncover and add the white kidney beans along with broccoli florets, sliced zucchini, fresh or dried oregano. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper as per taste. Cook on low heat for more 5 minutes. Garnish each serving with freshly grated parmesan cheese if desired. Serve hot. This recipe makes 4 servings.
3. If you choose to make this soup in slow cooker version then omit the olive oil from the recipe. Take a medium size slow cooker and combine the vegetables that are onions, carrots, celery, squash, tomatoes, garlic, broth, beans and dried or fresh oregano. Cover the cooker and cook on high heat setting for 3 to 4 hours or on low heat setting for 7 to 8 hours. If you choose to cook on low heat setting then before adding broccoli, zucchini, oregano, salt and pepper turn the cooker on high heat setting. Cover the cooker after adding these ingredients and cook for more 30 minutes or till the vegetables are tender. Serve the soup as mentioned above.

Health Tip:

• Roasted tomato and vegetable soup is a low calorie, diabetes friendly recipe as it provides about only 92 calories and 2 gm fat per serving. The total fat will be further reduced to almost negligible amounts if you choose to prepare this recipe in slow cooker.
• This recipe provides significant amount of sodium per serving that is about 641 mg per serving. So if you are on sodium restricted diet then balance other sodium rich foods in your diet.