Alright guys. Let’s have a heart to heart for a moment.
December can be rough on the waistline. I’m not sure what your family entails but I’m dealt four Christmases in a row. Yep. We start the 22nd and. power. through. So much joy, so much fun, so much festive and of course, so much food.
Oh the food.
We started off with lamb and fluffy mashed potatoes. Then we visited the whole prime rib/twice baked potato combo. Christmas Eve was spent munching on old fashioned (read: not exactly healthy) appetizers and ribbon sandwiches (layers of egg, olive and tuna salad AKA the epitome of health) and of course Christmas Day we woke up to this bubbling away and ended it all with a bang: Chinese take out.
I’m not making this up.
You want to know the worst part? Days later I was in FLORIDA. Expected to slither my post holiday bod into an actual swimsuit and wrangle the boys. Dear Lord, hold me.
I know, I know….I’m not exactly struggling with weight or anything but my goodness anyone that eats like that needs a bit of reprieve. A post holiday detox if you will. Hey, even a meal that doesn’t include red meat and butter filled potatoes will work at this point.
Enter this gem.
Gosh, I have so many good things to say. It’s super quick, but it tastes sloooow. It’s super healthy. M eats it. The boys dip the bread in the broth (baby steps here, man). It’s got a handful of vegetables and whole lot of health and all that stuff that has been lacking in your diet for the past 30+ days.
So here’s to January and to more meals like this because let’s be honest at this point? It is so needed. Trust me, step away from the holiday cookies…..
- 1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium canellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced,
- 1 small zucchini, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 32 ounces low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can no salt added diced tomatoes
- 2 cups chopped baby spinach leaves
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, garlic, thyme, sage, salt & pepper, and cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes or so.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl mash half of the beans with a back of a spoon, and set aside.
- Add the broth and tomatoes with the juice and bring to a boil. Add the mashed and whole beans and the spinach leaves and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes more. Serve in deep bowls with a sprinkle of parmesan on top. Hold the bread, if you can....
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Courtney
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Twitter: charminglyuncmp
says:
So much YES! I need to make this ASAP this weekend for the week. I think we are *finally* done with Christmas cookies and candy in the house and a sugar detox is so necessary!
Right?? I hope you enjoy if you try it out – we love it! 🙂
Making this for dinner tonight. We definitely need some lighter meals!
I hope you guys enjoyed!
We loved it and will have it again on Friday night at the lake. Company coming tomorrow and doing your Halloween Eve jambalaya which I KNOW is delicious.