Chicken & Spinach Soup with Fresh Pesto

This yummy, Italian-flavored soup takes advantage of quick-cooking ingredients—boneless, skinless chicken breast, bagged baby spinach, and canned beans. It features a simple homemade basil pesto swirled in at the end to add a fresh herb flavor. If you want to save on time, you can substitute 3 to 4 tablespoons of store-bought basil pesto. 

Ingredients

2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1/2 cup carrot or diced red bell pepper

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 8 ounces), cut into quarters

1 large clove garlic, minced

5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram6 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped1 15-ounce can cannellini beans or great northern beans, rinsed1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese1/3 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves

Freshly ground pepper to taste

3/4 cup plain or herbed multigrain croutons for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add carrot (or bell pepper) and chicken; cook, turning the chicken and stirring frequently until the chicken begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Stir in broth and marjoram; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken pieces to a clean cutting board to cool. Add spinach and beans to the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, Parmesan, and basil in a food processor (a mini processor works well). Process until a coarse paste forms, adding a little water and scraping down the sides as necessary. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Stir the chicken and pesto into the pot. Season with pepper. Heat until hot. Garnish with croutons, if desired.

Nutrition information:   Serving size: about 1 1/2 cups

Per serving: 226 calories; 9 g fat (2 g sat); 6 g fiber; 18 g carbohydrates; 19 g protein; 77 mcg folate; 28 mg cholesterol; 2 g sugars; 0 g added sugars; 3866 IU vitamin A; 29 mg vitamin C; 93 mg calcium; 2 mg iron; 211 mg sodium; 525 mg potassium