From The TeamingUp Kitchen: Spring Vegetable Soup

With Parmesan Crisps For Added Crunch

Time: 14 min      Yields: 4      Calories: 116

The Parmesan crisps add a nice crunch to this soup, but if you are short on time, just sprinkle each bowl of soup with a tablespoon of grated Parmesan just before serving. To make the soup heartier, you can also add cooked brown rice or whole-wheat orzo to the soup when you add the asparagus. Remember to count the carbs if you do add rice or pasta. (Be sure to talk to your diabetes healthcare team if you are considering making changes to your meal plan.)

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup coarsely shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 cup baby carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch lengths
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 pound thin asparagus (about 10 spears), trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
  • 1 cup fresh shelled green peas or frozen petite peas
  • 1 tightly packed cup baby spinach
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Directions

  1. To make the Parmesan crisps, preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a medium baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Drop the cheese by tablespoons onto the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart, making a total of 4 mounds. Spread each mound into a 3-inch round. Bake until the cheese is bubbling and lightly browned on the edges, about 7 minutes. Let the crisps cool completely on the baking sheet.
  3. Meanwhile, to make the soup, set a large saucepan over medium heat and add the oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring often until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 seconds.
  4. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the carrots, salt, and pepper. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer until the carrots are tender, about 5 minutes.
  5. Add the asparagus and peas, and cook until crisp-tender, about 
    2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the spinach and lemon juice. Ladle the soup into 4 bowls. Top each bowl with a Parmesan crisp and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the basil. Serve at once.

Nutritional Facts

Each Serving (1 1/3 cups soup and 1 crisp)
Carbohydrate Choices: 1
Food Choices: 3 vegetable, 1 fat

116

calories
per serving

Total Fat 

 4g

Saturated Fat

1g

Cholesterol

4mg

Sodium

402mg

Total Carbohydrate

15g

Dietary Fiber

5g

Total Sugar

0mg

Protein

5g