Ribollita

This Italian soup is rather like minestrone, but includes beans instead of pasta. It contains healthy and cleansing combination of onions, garlic, celery, fennel, herbs and beans. Beans are low in fat and high in fiber, and can help control blood sugar levels.

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
6-8 garlic cloves, crushed
8 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped
2 large zucchini, thinly sliced
14-ounce can chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons pesto
3¾ cups of 1-2-3 vegetable broth
14-ounces of cooked navy or borlotti beans, drained



To serve
1 pound young spinach
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil for drizzling (optional)

• Heat the oil in large saucepan. Add the onions, carrots, garlic, celery and fennel and cook gently for 10 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, pesto, stock and the beans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until the vegetable are tender.
• To serve, sauté the spinach in the oil for 2 minutes and divide among the soup bowls. Ladle the soup onto the spinach and drizzle with oil.

Makes 6 servings