Welcome to the reinvention of Losing Weight for Good. A place where us WW/SFies can share recipies that include local, fresh, seasonal food AND their Weight Watchers PointsPlus(TM) values! The first recipie I want to share is for Veggie Minestrone. It's perfect for this time of year because you can get a lot of the veg at the farmers' market (I bought the celery, carrots, onion, cabbage, and spinach there this weekend and the sage was from my garden) and it's only 5 points per serving! It's also got all the vitamins you need to survive cold and flu season, it's super yummy, and really filling. If I bring a 2 cup container for lunch, I rarely finish it. Enjoy!
Veggie Minestrone
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups spinach, chopped
2 cups of cabbage, chopped
1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 cup white beans (fully hydrated or use canned)
1 cup rice (I like a mix of brown, white, wild, and red)
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp or a little more of fresh sage, chopped
2 quarts of chicken stock (veggie stock will make this completely vegetarian but I don't like it)
salt and pepper to taste
Put all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. reduce to a simmer and cook for 90 minutes. The smaller you chop everything, the more combined the tastes will be. I like that. Some people like the chunkier vegetables. It's a matter of personal preference.
You can also top it with a sprinkle of fresh parmesan cheese, but that's not included in the 5 points. This soup freezes and reheats well, so make as much as you have room for in the freezer!
