Spoonsful of Goodness

Doesn't this look good?
It's from the Relish magazine that comes in our little community newspaper.

Here's the recipe:

Vegetable Bean Soup

6 ounces bacon, chopped
1 onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 small carrots, diced
2 zucchini, diced
1 garlic clove, finely diced
1 (14 0unce) can chopped tomatoes, undrained
2 (15 ounce) cans Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
Coarsely ground black pepper
6 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

1. Place bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook 5 minutes or until almost crisp. Add onion, celery and carrot; cook 5 minutes. Add zucchini and garlic; cook 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans, broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in spinach. Ladle into soup bowls and top with grated cheese. Makes 10 cups. Serves 6.

I have to admit - I haven't made this soup yet. But it looks so good, has ingredients I love and is easy! Here's a recipe I have made and I can tell you it is delicious. A friend knew I was looking for easy, nutritious soup recipes and this is one she found at the Food Network.

Rosemary White Bean Soup

1 pound dried white cannellini beans
4 cups sliced yellow onions (3 onions)
1/4 cp good olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large branch fresh rosemary (6 to 7 inches)
2 quarts chicken stock
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, cover the beans with wateer by at least 1-inch and leave them in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight. Drain.

In a large stockpot over low to medium heat, saute the onions with the olive oil until the onions are translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook over low heat for 3 more minutes. Add the drained white beans, rosemayr, chicken stock, and bay leaf. Cover, bring to a boil, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the beans are very soft. Remove the rosemary branch and the bay leaf. Pass the soup through the coarsest blade of a food mill, or place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until coarsely pureed. Return the soup to the pot to reheat and add salt and pepper, to taste. Serve hot.