Minestrone- Cooking Light Style

I think I have had this soup at least 3 times a week since I found this recipe- it is so good! I usually add a little more salt than the recipe calls for. Make this even lighter by omitting the oil and sauteing the vegetables with just plain cooking spray, and using barely or whole wheat pasta instead of ditalini. (I suppose you could also omit the cheese, but I think the few extra calories are worth it).

Yield
8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups soup and 2 tablespoons cheese)
Ingredients
· 2 teaspoons olive oil
· 1 cup chopped onion
· 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
· 4 garlic cloves, minced
· 3 cups chopped yellow squash
· 3 cups chopped zucchini
· 1 cup chopped carrot
· 1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
· 4 cups chopped tomato, divided
· 3 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
· 1/2 cup uncooked ditalini pasta (very short tube-shaped macaroni)
· 1 (15.5-ounce) can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
· 1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
· 1 cup (4 ounces) grated Asiago cheese
· Coarsely ground black pepper (optional)
Preparation
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until softened. Add oregano and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in squash, zucchini, carrot, and corn; sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat.
Place 3 cups tomato and 1 can broth in a blender; process until smooth. Add tomato mixture to pan; return pan to heat. Stir in remaining 1 cup tomato and remaining 2 cans broth; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.
Add pasta and beans to pan; cook 10 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Ladle soup into individual bowls; top with cheese. Garnish with coarsely ground black pepper, if desired.
Nutritional Information
Calories: 217 (25% from fat) Fat: 6.1g (sat 2.7g,mono 2g,poly 0.6g) Protein: 12.6g Carbohydrate: 30.5g Fiber: 7.9g Cholesterol: 12mg Iron: 2.7mg Sodium: 812mg Calcium: 206mg