Winter Vegetable Minestrone

"Minestrone is comfort food for our Italian family. It's very warming—I literally sweat when I eat it," says Lynn Bagley, founder of the Marin County Farmers Market Association in San Rafael, California.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1  teaspoon  olive oil
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 2  cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 6  cups  vegetable or chicken broth
• 1  dried bay leaf
• 1/2  pound  banana squash
• 3/4  pound  Swiss chard
• 1  can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
• 2  cans (15 oz. each) cannellini (white beans), rinsed and drained
• Salt and pepper
• Grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. In a 5- to 6-quart pan, combine oil, onion, and garlic. Stir over high heat until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes.

2. Add broth and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat.

3. Cut off and discard peel from squash; cut squash into 1/2-inch cubes and add to pan. Cover and simmer over medium heat until squash is tender when pierced, about 6 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, trim off discolored ends of Swiss chard stems. Rinse chard, shake off moisture, stack, and cut in half lengthwise; then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips.

5. Add Swiss chard, tomatoes, and beans to squash mixture. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring often, and boil until chard stems are tender when pierced, 3 to 4 minutes. Ladle into soup bowls.

6. Season minestrone with salt, pepper, and cheese to taste.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

140 (10% from fat)

Protein:

7.8g

Fat:

1.6g (sat 0.1)

Carbohydrate:

24g

Fiber:

6g

Sodium:

352mg

Cholesterol:

0.0mg