WHITE BEAN SOUP WITH GREMOLATA

This is a super fast and easy Mediterranean soup with the great taste of the region's vivid flavors. This recipe is by Ivy Manning from Cooking Light Cookbook. This is a very healthy soup that only contains 227 calories per serving. I love this soup especially now in the cold weather and eat with no guilt as the Holidays is coming soon.

INGREDIENTS :

Soup:

2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped pancetta
1 cup prechopped onion
1/2 cup prechopped celery
2 tsp minced garlic
2 cups fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 (19-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 bay leaf


Gremolata:

1 tbsp chopped fresh flat leaves parsley
2 tsp grated lemon grind
1 tsp minced garlic



METHODS:

1. To prepare Soup, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add pancetta; saute 2 minutes. Stir in onion, celery and 2 tsp garlic; saute 3 minutes or until almost tender.

2. Stir in the chicken broth, water, black pepper, cannellini beans and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat, and simmer for about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. To prepare the Gremolata, combine parsley, grated lemon and garlic in a small bowl and mix it well.

4. Scoop 1 1/2 cup of the soup in a serving bowl and sprinkle 1 1/2 tsp of gremolata over the soup and serve.