A long time ago in a galaxy far far away... whoops! Wrong story. Ahem. A long time ago, I made this heavenly soup for my family in the midst of winter and it was an instant hit! And it still is to this day. But, the post here needed some updating so here you go!
I've made the soup a few times over the years and each time seem to make it more and more my own. While the base of the soup remains the same, I've definitely built my own little swamp here.
This soup is pretty hearty and rather filling for being loaded with basically nothing but vegetables. And no, that isn't a complaint in the least. I love my vegetables almost any which way, cooked, raw, steamed, grilled, etc.
To make this soup my own, I've doubled the spinach in there. Because... I'm all about the spinach. Plus, it makes it even more 'swampy' with all of that green goodness in there. I used 'no salt' added canned products where I could, because I like to salt my own foods and not be told how salty they should be. And canned foods tent to carry a pretty high salt content.
For the cheese, I used a fat free mozzarella, but really what ever sort of cheese you're a fan of would probably work here. Just be sure that when you add the cheese to the pot that the soup isn't still boiling or at a simmer. That would melt the cheese into oblivious and leave you without the nice gooey bites within the soup.
Add a couple of crackers on the side and you're ready to go with your healthy soup as a full on meal-in-a-bowl!
Honestly, for me this soup seemed to be even better the next day as seconds when all of the flavors and vegetables have time to sit together. And as for the cheese, I found that it re-gooed when warmed back up in the microwave. Yum!
TheSkinnyFork.com - Originally Posted January 27, 2016 A 'swampy' tomato based soup made with chopped spinach and a whole lot of other vegetables. Gluten-free and comes together in under 30 minutes for a great weeknight family dinner. Prep Time: 5 Minutes • Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: About 1 1/2 Cups • Calories: 140 • Fat: 6 g • Saturated Fat: 4 g • Carb: 16 g • Fiber: 6 g • Protein: 8 g • Sugar: 9 g • Sodium: 921 mg
• 1 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
• 2 Celery Stalks, Chopped
• 2 Carrot, Sliced
• 1/2 White Onion, Chopped
• 2 Minced Garlic Cloves
• 1/2 Tbsp. Dried Basil
• 1/2 Tbsp. Dried Oregano
• 1 (15 Oz.) Can No Salted Added Tomato Sauce
• 2 (15 Oz.) Cans No Salt Added Diced Tomatoes
• 2 1/2 C. Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth
• 10 Oz. Frozen Chopped Spinach, Thawed & Drained
• 3 Oz. Fat Free Mozzarella Cheese Cubes
• Salt & Pepper to Taste
Directions:
Melt the butter in the bottom of a stock pot or large soup pot.
Add in the 2 celery stalks, 2 carrots, the 1/2 of an onion, and 2 garlic and cook over medium heat until just starting to become tender and onions are turning translucent.
Once ready, add the 1/2 Tbsp. basil and 1/2 Tbsp. oregano, along with the can of tomato sauce, both cans of diced tomatoes, and the 2 1/2 C. chicken broth.
Turn the heat up to high and bring it all to a boil.
Once boiling, adding the spinach and reduce the heat to a simmer for a few minutes - just to heat the spinach through.
Season with salt and pepper if desired and then drop in the cubes of cheese right before removing the pot from the heat.
The cheese will continue to get melty in the residual heat, but will stay in nice warm pillows of cheese goodness.
Divide evenly among bowls and enjoy right away!
Step-by-Step Photos:
Nutritional Claims: High Fiber • Gluten Free • Wheat Free • Egg Free • Peanut Free • Tree Nut Free • Soy Free • Fish Free • Shellfish Free • Pork Free • Red Meat Free • Crustacean Free • Mustard Free • Sesame Free • Lupine Free • Mollusk Free • Alcohol Free • No Sugar Added • Sulphite Free
