Quick & Easy 5-Ingredient Asparagus Minestrone Soup
WW Recipe of the Day: Easy Healthy 5-Ingredient Asparagus Minestrone Soup
Today I’m sharing my latest favorite soup, an easy, healthy 5-ingredient asparagus minestrone I made for supper last night.
Talk about simple and delicious. Just toss all the ingredients together in a large saucepan and let simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. So easy and satisfying. The longer I live the more enamored I become of super simple, streamlined recipes like this.
Easy Asparagus Minestrone Soup
If you have been hanging out with me for any amount of time you know that I am a soup nut. I can’t help adding more easy healthy soup recipes here on the blog and even wrote an eCookbook filled with Skinny Soups for the Slow Cooker and Stovetop!
Eating soup has been one of my favorite strategies for staying slim. After a few days of overindulgence my body naturally wants to compensate with low calorie nourishing foods like soup.
How Soup Helps You Slim Down
Eating soup can help you feel full on fewer calories, which is essential to long-term sustainable weight loss success. Soup can be a beneficial addition to a weight loss or slimming plan for several reasons:
Low-Calorie Option: Many types of soup are naturally low in calories, especially broth-based or vegetable-based soups, like this easy asparagus minestrone. They can help you feel full without consuming a large number of calories, which can aid in weight loss.
High Water Content: Soups typically have a high water content, which adds volume to the meal without adding extra calories. The high water content can help increase satiety and reduce overall calorie intake.
Fiber-Rich Ingredients: If your soup contains ingredients like vegetables, legumes, or whole grains, it can be an excellent source of dietary fiber. Fiber helps you feel fuller for longer and aids in digestion, which can support weight management.
Nutrient Density: Depending on the ingredients used, soups can provide a wide range of essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Getting a good balance of nutrients while managing your calorie intake is important for overall health and weight management. They also keep you feeling full longer.
Portion Control: Eating a bowl of soup before a meal can help with portion control. Starting your meal with a low-calorie, broth-based soup can help curb your appetite, leading to consuming fewer calories during the main course. And of course eating it as your main course as often as you can is even better! (Weight Watchers Weight Loss Tip: How to Estimate Your Portions)
How Many Calories and Weight Watchers Points in this Minestrone?
According to my calculations, each serving has 162 calories and:
4 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
3 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
0 *SmartPoints (Purple plan with whole grain pasta)
4 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your Points for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
Easy Asparagus Minestrone Soup Ingredients
20 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1 bunch of asparagus, cut up into 1-inch or so pieces (discard the tough stem ends)
1 cup (3.5 ounces) of elbow macaroni (or other pasta shape or your choice such as shells, little bowties, rotini, etc.)
1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon (chicken or vegetable) or a couple of bouillon cubes
1-½ cups (7 ounces) of fresh or frozen peas
Easy 5-Ingredient Asparagus Minestrone Ingredients
How to Make This Quick and Easy Soup
Step 1: You just assemble and prep your simple list of ingredients
Add the Ingredients to your soup pot
Step 2: Toss everything into a soup pot along with 4.5 cups of water. Bring to a bubble. Lower the heat and simmer gently until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
Step 3: Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into a bowl and enjoy with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil if you are feeling extravagant. A sprinkle of cheese, like Parmesan would be nice as well.
Fresh asparagus Photo credit: oklahoma academy country on unsplash
Recipe Notes, Variations & Substitutions
This recipe is only a guide. Use whatever quick cooking vegetables you prefer.
No asparagus?
Zucchini, summer squash, or green beans would make nice substitutions for the asparagus.
No peas?
Substitute corn or a can of your favorite beans or chick peas
More flavor?
I liked how the flavor of the vegetables shined here. But add whatever herbs and spices suit your fancy. Basil, parsley, thyme, oregano, cilantro, savory, Italian seasoning, etc.
Garnishes?
Grated cheese, chopped fresh herbs, a drizzle of pesto, croutons, etc.
What Should I Serve with this Soup?
I served this minestrone soup with toast and a bit of leftover smoked salmon. A green salad would be nice, as would a bit of warm crusty bread, rolls, muffins, etc.
Ways to Use Leftovers
This recipe makes 4 servings, so there won’t be a ton of leftovers. You can portion them out for future quick and easy lunches suppers. You could also simply make less of this soup by dividing all the ingredients in half if you prefer.
Are You Ready To Firmly Plant Yourself
On The Path To Lasting Weight Loss Success?
If you’ve made this Easy 5-Ingredient Asparagus Minestrone, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Easy Healthy 5-Ingredient Asparagus Minestrone
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
No asparagus? Zucchini, summer squash, or green beans would make nice substitutions for the asparagus.
No peas? Substitute corn or a can of your favorite beans or chick peas
More flavor? I liked how the flavor of the vegetables shined here. But add whatever herbs and spice suit your fancy. Basil, parsley, thyme, oregano, cilantro, savory, Italian seasoning, etc.
Garnishes? Grated cheese, chopped fresh herbs, a drizzle of pesto, croutons, etc.
Serving size: 2 cups
Click here to see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site.
4 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
3 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
0 *SmartPoints (Purple plan using wholegrain pasta)
4 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
Nutrition
Recipe source: Simple 2: More of the Easiest Recipes in the World by Jean-Francois Mallet
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan’s ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
More Easy Healthy Vegetable Soup Recipes for Weight Watchers
Healthy Slow Cooker Vegetarian Minestrone
Slow Cooker Summer Vegetable Soup
Summer Vegetable Soup
WW Zero Point Vegetable Soup
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she’s not experimenting in the kitchen, you’re likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
Originally published May 2020; Updated with new photos and content June 2023
The post Quick & Easy 5-Ingredient Asparagus Minestrone Soup appeared first on Simple Nourished Living.
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