1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup leftover chopped cooked chicken breast
2 cups coarsely chopped escarole (about 1 small head)
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Combine tomatoes and broth in a large saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes. Add chicken, escarole, and oil; cook 5 minutes.

Serves 4

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium celery stalk, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cans (15-19 ounces each) white kidney beans (cannellini), rinsed and drained
1 can (13 3/4-14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
10-12 ounces fresh spinach
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional

In a 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Add onion and celery and cook 5-8 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, cook 30 seconds, stirring. Add beans, chicken broth, pepper, thyme and 2 cups water. Heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low, simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, discard tough stems from spinach, thinly slice leaves. With slotted spoon, remove 2 cups bean-and-vegetable mixture from soup, set aside. In blender at low speed, with center part of cover removed to allow steam to escape, blend remaining soup in small batches until smooth. Pour soup into large bowl after each batch.

Return soup to saucepan, stir in reserved beans and vegetables. Heat to boiling over high heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in spinach and cook 1 minute or until wilted. Stir in lemon juice and remove from heat. Serve with Parmesan cheese, if you like.

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp ground cumin
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
9 oz brown lentils
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp tomato puree
1 quart vegetable stock
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

10 oz chopped fresh spinach

Heat oil in a heavy saucepan and saute onions, garlic till soft. Add cumin and combine well. Add remaining ingredients except spinach and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about 30 to 40 minutes or until lentils are done. Add spinach to the soup and cook about 10 more minutes.

Serves 4

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 onions, chopped
6 to 8 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 can (12 or 14 oz) chopped tomatoes, drained
2 cans (14 oz each) cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups nonfat chicken broth or use vegetable broth
1 handful fresh basil leaves (about 10 leaves)
juice from one lemon
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large, heavy soup pot. Saute onion and garlic over medium low heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the beans and broth. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes more.

Just before serving, stir in the basil and lemon juice and add additional salt and pepper if necessary.

Serves 4.

Also fantastic reheated after flavors have had a chance to blend

1 large head escarole, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can cannellini beans, drained
5 cups vegetable stock
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Cook escarole in a small amount of water until softened. Drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened. Add garlic and cook a minute longer. Stir in remaining ingredients along with reserved escarole. Simmer about 20 minutes and serve.

Serves 5

1 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. hot red pepper flakes
1 can (28 oz) stewed or fire roasted tomatoes (we love Muir Glen brand)
3 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers, freshly roasted or from a jar
pinch black pepper

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onions, garlic and red pepper flakes stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until softened.

Add canned tomatoes, stock, red peppers and black pepper; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until desired consistency. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender to process the soup. Blend in small batches, taking care that the hot soup does not overflow.

1 pound Great Northern white beans
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 medium onion, chopped
2 4oz. cans of mild chopped green chilies
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
6 cups fat-free chicken broth
2 Tbsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Sour cream
Salsa
Fresh cilantro

Soak beans in cold water overnight.

In large pot, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat and sauté onions until translucent. Stir in garlic, chilies, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, and cloves and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.

Drain beans and add to pot with chicken stock. Bring to boil and reduce heat. Simmer about 2 hours until beans are tender, stirring occasionally.

While beans are cooking, saute chicken breast in 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Let cool, then cube.

After 2 hours, add chicken and 1 cup of cheese to chili and stir until cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with extra Monterey Jack, sour cream, salsa, and cilantro as toppings.

1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 leeks, thinly sliced
2 shallots, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
3 cups fresh wild mushrooms of choice, chopped or sliced
about 5 cups nonfat beef stock
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp fat free half and half
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Place dried porcini in a bowl and add 1 cup of warm water; let soak for half an hour. Lift out mushrooms and squeeze well to remove as much water as possible. Strain the water and reserve. Finely chop the porcini mushrooms and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add leeks, shallots and garlic and cook gently until soft, but not colored. Stir often. Add wild mushrooms to pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until they begin to soften. Stir in beef broth and bring to a boil. Add chopped porcini, reserved soaking liquid, thyme, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer, half covered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour three quarters of the soup into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add back to the saucepan and stir well. Stir in the half and half, and heat well. If soup is too thick stir in a little more beef broth. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Serves 4

 2 tablespoons canola oil
2 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey (7% fat)
2 packages taco seasoning (1 ounce each)
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes (optional)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups mild salsa
4 cups canned, crushed tomatoes in puree
7-ounce can chopped green chili peppers
1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
2 green bell peppers, diced
5 medium zucchinis, halved lengthwise and sliced (about 6 cups)

1. Heat oil in a large, nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey, and as it cooks, use a potato masher to crumble into small pieces. After about 4 minutes, add taco seasoning mix, coriander, oregano, and the chili flakes (if desired). Stir and continue cooking until turkey is well browned.
2. Add chicken broth, salsa, tomatoes, green chilies, onion, bell pepper, and zucchini. Bring to a boil, then cover the pan and reduce heat; simmer for 10-15 minutes.
3. Ladle the chili into individual bowls (or into freezer portions).
Yield: 10 servings

3/4 pound turkey sausage links, cut into 1/8-inch rounds
2 cups chopped yellow onion
1 16-ounce can of chicken broth
1/4 cup water
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. of dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 16-ounce cans butter beans, well rinsed and drained

Directions
Place a dutch oven, preferably cast iron, over medium heat, add sausage, and cook until just beginning to brown. Add onion and cook for 6-8 minutes or until transparent. Add broth, water, bay leaves, thyme, black pepper, and cayenne, scraping bottom and sides. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover tightly, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add beans, reduce heat to a very low simmer, and cook for 4 minutes longer, uncovered. Remove from heat and let stand for 20 minutes. Remove bay leaves and serve.

Serves 4