Serves 8 / If my Grandmother had been Italian, she would have made this soup. It is as wholesome and delicious as it is beautiful. Prep tip: If you don’t have fresh spinach, you can use one 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry.
2 cups chopped celery (4-5 stalks)
2 large carrots, peeled
1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia, Walla Walla, or sweet Mayan
2 tablespoons organic canola or safflower oil
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into ½-inch strips
1/2 green or yellow bell pepper, sliced into ½-inch strips
6 cups water
1 28-ounce can diced San Marzano or fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
1 cup corn kernels (frozen and thawed, or fresh)
1 cup chopped fresh fennel bulb (1 small bulb) or 1 teaspoon whole fennel seed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
4-5 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
1 small zucchini, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
1. Chop celery, carrots, and onion into 1/2-inch dice.
2. Heat oil on medium-high in a large, heavy-bottom stockpot. Add celery, carrots, and onion. Sauté until edges are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic and bell peppers. Stir frequently for 1–2 minutes, then add water, tomatoes, corn, fennel, oregano, thyme, and rosemary. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 30–40 minutes. Add spinach and zucchini, simmer another 5 minutes, salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
PER SERVING: 101 cal, 33% fat cal, 4g fat, 0g sat fat, 0mg chol, 3g protein, 15g carb, 4g fiber, 273mg sodium
