Spicy Italian Ski Team Soup

Ingredients:
1/3 cup onions, chopped
1/3 cup green bell pepper, chopped
3/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1-1/4 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
1 cup water
11 ounces canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1-1/4 cups canned Italian style stewed tomatoes
11 ounces frozen Italian-style vegetable combination
3/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 cup small shell pasta
2/3 cup spinach leaves, loosely packed

Directions:
Saute onion, pepper, garlic, and red pepper in oil in large saucepan until tender, 3-4 minutes. Stir in beef broth, water, beans, tomatoes, Italian vegetables, and basil; heat to boiling. Add pasta and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables and pasta are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir spinach into soup; simmer 1-2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If desired, add a teaspoon of prepared pesto sauce into each bowl of soup.

Note: You can substitute frozen chopped onion, green pepper, and prepared garlic. You can prepare soup 1-2 days in advance; refrigerate, covered.

This recipe serves 4.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 200
Fat: 2.2g
Calories from fat: 10%
Cholesterol: 0mg
Protein: 11g
Carbohydrates: 37g
Fiber: 9.1g
Sugar: 7.4g
Sodium: 498mg
Dietary Exchanges: Vegetable: 1.5, Bread: 1.8, Fat: 0.3, Very lean meat protein: 1.0