Garden Minestrone

Ingredients

• 4 ounces asiago cheese grated
• 6 ounce baby spinach fresh
• 0.5 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
• 15.5 ounce cannellini beans rinsed drained canned
• 1 cup carrots chopped
• 0.5 cup ditalini pasta tube-shaped uncooked (very short macaroni)
• 42 ounce less-sodium chicken broth fat-free divided canned
• 1 cup corn kernels fresh ( 2 ears)
• 4  garlic cloves minced
• 2 teaspoons olive oil 
• 1 cup onion chopped
• 2 teaspoons oregano fresh chopped
• 0.8 teaspoon salt 
• 4 cups tomatoes divided chopped
• 3 cups baby squash yellow chopped
• 3 cups zucchini chopped

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• ladle
• blender
• dutch oven

Directions

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Add onion to pan; saut 3 minutes or until softened.
3. Add oregano and garlic; saut 1 minute. Stir in squash, zucchini, carrot, and corn; saut 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Place 3 cups tomato and 1 can broth in a blender; process until smooth.
6. 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.
7. Add pasta and beans to pan; cook 10 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally.
8. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Ladle soup into individual bowls; top with cheese.
9. Garnish with coarsely ground black pepper, if desired.