Easy Healthy Soups: Winter Minestrone

INGREDIENTS (6-8 servings):

• 4 oz diced pancetta 15 oz canned cannellini beans 
• Olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
• 2 cups diced carrots
• 2 cups diced celery
• 2 cups peeled, diced butternut squash 
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 26 oz chopped canned tomatoes 
• 5-6 cups chicken stock
• 15 oz canned cannellini beans
• 2 cups cooked small pasta 
• 6 oz fresh baby spinach
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 Tbsp pesto
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese 
• Salt
• Pepper
• Bay leaf
• Fresh thyme
• 2-3 tsp Olympic RX (per serving) 

INSTRUCTIONS:

• 1. In a crock pot, fry the pancetta in olive oil for a few minutes.
• 2. Add onions and garlic and fry for 2-3 minutes.
• 3. Add carrots, butternut squash, and celery and fry for 7-8 minutes until the veggies soften.
• 4. Add canned tomatoes and chicken stock for a healthy soup. This winter minestrone is a perfect example of healthy soups that can warm you up.
• 5. Add salt, pepper, chopped thyme, and a bay leaf.
• 6. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
• 7. Boil the pasta and add to the soup in the crock pot.
• 8. Add spinach, white wine, and cannellini beans and cook in the crock pot until the spinach wilts.
• 9. Serve and sprinkle with Olympic RX and parmesan cheese just before serving.
• 10. Any leftover soup can be frozen without Olympic Rx, making it one of the easy healthy dinner ideas perfect for meal prepping. This dish is among the healthy meal ideas that are both nutritious and convenient.