Fresh Basil and Navy Bean Soup

On one of my recent flights I was flipping through a Better Homes and Gardens magazine and came across a recipe for fresh basil and navy bean soup. I'm not huge on soup so I don't make it often but this recipe looked so good I wanted to give it a try. Plus I am always looking for quick dinner recipes for weeknights.

Fresh Basil and Navy Bean Soup

Original recipe by: Better Homes and Gardens

Serves: 4

Nutrition: 293 calories, 30 mg chol, 1114 mg sodium, 39g carb, 7g fiber, 4g sugar, 23g protein

Ingredients 

4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

4 ounces dried medium shell pasta (1 1/3 cups)

1 14 1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes (I used a can of rotel)

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (Optional)

1 15 ounce can navy beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup chopped cooked chicken breast

1 cup fresh arugula

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Kalamata olives (Optional, I left these out cause I hate olives)

Parmesan cheese

Directions

In a 4-quart Dutch oven (I still do not have a Dutch oven :( so I used a soup pot) bring broth to boil. Add the pasta, undrained tomatoes and crushed red pepper, if desired. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until pasta is tender.

Stir in remaining ingredients; heat through. Season to taste. Top with Parmesan cheese and Kalamata olives, if desired.

Kyle was afraid the soup wouldn't be filling and his comment was that it was good and filling! It was a little spicy so next time I might leave out the crushed red pepper but it was still so tasty! I loved that I used so many fresh herbs and spices and I used no additional salt in ours to try and keep the sodium amount down. I was happy with the low calories, enjoy!