Chicken & Spinach Soup with Fresh Pesto

This fragrant, Italian-flavored soup is Mediterranean diet friendly as it offers plenty of heart healthy ingredients, including olive oil, beans, vegetables, herbs and spices as well as lean chicken breast. Spinach, carrots and bell peppers are rich in vitamins A & C and antioxidants. And although the soup features homemade basil pesto and croutons, it is easy to prepare, making it perfect for a weeknight meal.

Makes: 5 servings (1.5 cups each)
Time to cook: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• ½ cup chopped carrot
• ½ cup diced red bell pepper
• 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 8 ounces),cut into quarters
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1½ teaspoons dried marjoram
• 6 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans or great northern beans,rinsed
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• ¾ cup whole-grain croutons for garnish (3 slices whole wheatbread, 1 tablespoon olive oil)

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add carrot, bell pepper and chicken; cook, turning the chicken and stirring frequently until the chicken begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in broth and marjoram; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
2. With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken pieces to a cutting board to cool. Add spinach and beans to the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 5 minutes.
3. Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, Parmesan and basil in a food processor. Process until a coarse paste forms, adding a little water and scraping down the sides as necessary.
4. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Stir the chicken and pesto into the pot. Season with pepper and heat until hot. Garnish with croutons if desired.  
5. To make croutons, remove the crusts from the 3 slices of bread and cut into 1-inch cubes. Toss on a large baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and pepper to taste. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown and crisp, about 10-12 minutes. Can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Nutrition per serving:
Soup: 204 calories; 8 g fat (2 g sat, 4 g mono); 29 mg cholesterol; 16 g carbohydrate; 18 g protein; 0 g added sugars; 6 g fiber; 691 mg sodium; 529 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (111% daily value), Folate & Vitamin C (20% dv).

Croutons: (½ Cup): 119 calories; 5 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrate; 2 g added sugar; 5 g protein; 2 g fiber; 167 mg sodium; 89 mg potassium.

Recipe from The Simple Art of Eating Well Cookbook, edited by Jessie Price