Spring Minestrone

• Recipe by Joanne Weir

Ingredients

1. 2 tablespoons olive oil
2. 1 leek, white and light green parts only, chopped
3. 6 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
4. 1 cup ditali or other small pasta
5. Salt
6. 10 pencil-thin asparagus, cut into 1-inch lengths
7. 1 small fennel bulb, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice
8. 1/4 pound sugar snap peas, halved crosswise
9. 1 cup coarsely chopped Swiss chard leaves
10. One 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
11. 1/2 pound thawed frozen peas
12. 2 tablespoons chopped mint
13. Freshly ground pepper
14. 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the leek and cook over moderately high heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the pasta and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the asparagus, diced fennel, sugar snap peas, Swiss chard and cannellini beans and simmer until the pasta is tender, about 5 minutes longer. Add the peas and mint, season the soup with salt and pepper and simmer for 1 minute longer. Ladle the soup into bowls, sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

Notes

One Serving:
Calories 376 kcal, Total Fat 14.0 gm, Saturated Fat 3.7 gm, Protein 20 gm, Carbohydrates 50 gm