Chicken Spinach Pesto Soup

By: Saleena on 9:42 AM

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Yes, it has been perfect weather for making soup here in So Cal, which means it is probably soup weather in most of the country.  Have you made a good soup lately? I would love to give it a try :]  Post a comment below with a link to the recipe and I just may feature it.   I found this recipe on EatingWell.  

 

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divide

1/2 cup carrot (or if you're funny about cooked carrots, use bell pepper)

1/2 onion, chopped (I added)

2 cups shredded chicken

1 large clove garlic, minced

5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram (I didn't have any, so I used a mixture of Thyme and Basil)

6 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped

1 15-ounce can cannellini beans or great northern beans, rinsed

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Add carrot (or bell pepper) and onion; cook 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. 

Stir in broth and marjoram (or basil & thyme); bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally.

Add spinach and beans to the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.

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.

 Stir the chicken and pesto into the pot. Season with pepper. Heat until hot. 

Serve with croutons, french bread, or saltines :] 

This soup is pretty darn good.  And the best part?  It's healthy!

According to EatingWell, the nutrition facts are as follows:

Nutrition

Per serving: 204 calories; 8 g fat ( 2 g sat , 4 g mono ); 29 mg cholesterol; 16 g carbohydrates; 18 g protein; 6 g fiber; 691 mg sodium; 529 mg potassium.


Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (110% daily value), Folate & Vitamin C (20% dv).

You can't really beat that.

I've already made this twice in two weeks!  Which is a big deal, because I am always making new things.  Can't wait to try out your soup recipes!  Leave a link below :]

<3 Saleena