Easy Guilt-Free Springtime Soup

By the time I was finished with work today, I was beat. I didn’t feel like grocery shopping or cooking an elaborate meal. I wanted something easy. I wanted something fast.

So when I got home, I looked in the pantry, fridge, and freezer. Bingo. I spotted tonight’s lucky ingredients. It was going to be a soup night. I call it my “Easy Guilt-Free Springtime Soup.”

What I really liked about this meal was that it took no time at all to prep the ingredients and throw everything in pot. I pretty much let the stove top and microwave do everything for me.

Here’s what went in the mix:

• 1 container of Trader Joe’s Creamy Tomato Soup
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 package of whole wheat pasta (I used fusilli)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bag steam-in-the-bag broccoli
• 1 bag steam-in-the-bag sweet corn
• 1 cup of fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved
• Juice of 2 limes
• garlic pepper (to taste)
• garlic powder (to taste)
• 1 dollop of light sour cream
• garlic chives for garnish
• handful of Trader Joe’s Veggie and Flax Seed Chips

Directions:

1. Pour container of tomato soup and 2 cups of water in a large pot and bring to a boil.
2. Add the onion and whole wheat pasta to the pot and cook according to directions on pasta package.
3. While the pasta and onion is cooking, microwave the steam-in-the-bag broccoli and corn.
4. Once the pasta is cooked, reduce the heat on the stove top and add the broccoli and corn.
5. Add the juice of two limes, garlic pepper, and garlic powder to taste (you could also use fresh minced garlic and pepper).
6. Stir all of the ingredients and let simmer for 4-5 minutes.
7. To serve, ladle the soup in a pretty bowl and add the fresh spinach. The spinach will wilt slightly from the heat. That’s what you want!
8. Add the halved tomatoes to the soup, as well as a dollop of light sour cream and garlic chives. I have a garlic chive plant, but you should also be able to buy pre-cut chives in the store. Scallions would also be delicious.
9. I finished off the soup by crumbling a few veggie and flax seed chips on top. You could also use tortilla chips.

I’m usually not a huge fan of soup in the spring or summer, especially when the temps are on the rise, but this soup was perfect. The whole wheat pasta and veggies add a lot of bulk to the soup, so a small bowl was satisfying. Plus, it’s really healthy! All of my veggies for the day in one serving. Can’t beat that! A perfect way to celebrate spring!

You might also like:

• Dairy Free Spinach Pesto
• Grilled Pizza
• Garlic Roasted Autumn Squash and Red Onion
• Quinoa and Roasted Veggies with Flax Seed