Day 5: Virtue in a Bowl

Look at all those plants! The colors! The fiber! The antioxidants! Here is a bowl of absolute virtue. Completely fat free, totally vegan, ridiculously easy, and slurpingly delicious.

I adapted this from a Weight Watchers recipe that I have made over and over again. Make some for yourself and feel nutritionally superior all day!

Italian Vegetable Soup
6-8 servings

2 cups chopped escarole
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 cup chopped onions
1 tsp. garlic puree or 2 cloves pushed through garlic press
2 zucchini, cubed
1 red bell pepper, cubed
28 oz. can fire-roasted diced tomates and their juice
14 oz. can cannelini beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup fresh basil, slivered
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4-1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (adjust for your preferred spiciness)
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
6 cups veggie stock

(Now here's the best part): Put all above in a stock pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook 10-30 minutes, depending on how you prefer your vegetables - all soft or with slight crunch.

I like my soup veggies soft so I cook it at least 30 minutes. This also concentrates the flavors, so if you cook for a shorter time you may need to adjust the seasonings. This makes a lot, but freezes perfectly for me.

If you need cheese, parmesan on top is tasty. If you want to make it heartier or more kid-friendly, add some small pasta or diced cooked chicken sausage to your bowl.

WW friends: 1 cup = 1 point. For real.