Plump summer tomatoes and fresh basil give refreshing flavors to a quick minestrone soup. Add turkey sausage and the crunchy texture of pecans to make a light summer meal. This one-dish dinner can be made in 20 minutes.
Acini pepe is a very small soup pasta. Any type of leftover pasta broken into small pieces or orzo (rice-shaped pasta) can be used. Look for trimmed green beans in the produce section of the market to cut down on preparation time.
Although this is a cooked soup, it can be served at room temperature and is full of the fresh flavors of summer vegetables.
Fred Tasker’s wine suggestion: Some people say soup, being a liquid, doesn’t need wine. I am not one of those people. Try a lightweight Italian red dolcetto.
Helpful hints:
• Buy good quality Parmesan cheese for best flavor.
Countdown:
• Prepare ingredients.
• Make soup.
• While soup simmers, boil pasta.
Shopping list:
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for tonight’s Quick Fix Dinner:
To buy: 1/2 pound low-fat turkey sausage, 1 small container trimmed green beans, 2 medium tomatoes, container fat-free, no-salt-added chicken broth, 1 bag washed, ready-to-eat spinach, 1 bunch fresh basil, 1 package acini pepe pasta, 1 piece Parmesan cheese and 1 small container pecans.
Staples: olive oil, onion, salt and black peppercorns.
Summer Garden Minestrone
Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 lb. low-fat turkey sausage, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup sliced onion
1 cup trimmed green beans cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium tomatoes, quartered
2 cups fat-free, no-salt-added chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup packed fresh washed, ready-to-eat spinach
1/2 cup fresh basil, torn into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup acini pepe pasta
2 Tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped pecans
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, onion and green beans. Saute for 5 minutes. Do not brown the vegetables.
Add the tomato and broth. The broth should cover the vegetables. Add water, if needed. Bring to a simmer and partially cover with a lid, leaving space for steam to escape. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat. Stir in the spinach and basil. Let stand 1 minute. Adding these at this point allows them to just warm through so you get their fresh taste.
While soup cooks, bring a large pot filled with 2 to 3 quarts water to a boil. Add the acini pepe pasta and boil 8 minutes or until pasta is cooked al dente. Drain.
Spoon pasta into bowls and ladle soup on top. Sprinkle each bowl with Parmesan cheese and pecans.
Per serving: 529 calories (32 percent from fat), 19 g fat (4.1 g saturated, 7.9 g monounsaturated), 88 mg cholesterol, 38.6 g protein, 53.3 g carbohydrates, 7.1 g fiber, 927 mg sodium.
Yield 2 servings.
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