- 2 carrots
- 1 (8 ounce) onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 (15 ounce) can small white beans
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 3 cups low-sodium tomato juice
- 2 cups fat-skimmed low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 leek (1 1/2 in. wide)
- 1/2 cup dried small pasta shells
- 2 cups chopped rinsed spinach
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese or grated parmesan cheese
- Peel and chop carrots, onion, and garlic. Drain and rinse beans. In a 4- to 5-quart pan over high heat, combine carrots, onion, garlic, beans, celery, tomato juice, broth, basil, thyme, and rosemary. Cover pan and bring to a boil.
- Meanwhile, trim and discard root end and tough green leaves of leek. Split leek in half lengthwise; rinse well. Thinly slice leek crosswise and add to broth mixture.
- When soup is boiling, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until carrots are tender when pierced, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in pasta; simmer, covered, until pasta is just tender to bite, about 10 minutes. Add spinach and stir until wilted, about 1 minute. (If soup is thicker than you like, stir in a little water.) Add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into soup bowls. Add cheese to taste.