Guest Author - Jill Valente

My sister Paula wasn’t always that interested in cooking but since her beautiful kitchen renovation she has become a slave to the stove. She makes this stew a lot because it’s healthy, easy and her kids like it too. Although I refer to it as a stew it’s probably more of a soup as the broth is pretty light but I feel the heartiness gives it a stew-like sensation. Plus springtime and stew may seem like a contradiction but the peas and corn make it very spring-y.

Paula’s Springtime Stew
Using 93% lean ground beef really keeps the fat content down and all the beans hike up the amount of fiber. You could use any shaped pasta, ditalini works and so do elbows. Also try whole wheat pasta too, I just couldn’t find any small shapes in whole wheat.

Ingredients
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 lb 93% lean ground beef
• 15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 15 oz can lima beans, drained and rinsed
• 16 oz bag frozen corn kernels
• 16 oz bag frozen green sweet peas
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• ¾ cup pasta, small shells
• 6 cups reduced fat chicken broth
• ¾ cup red wine (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium high and add the diced onion and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes and then add the ground beef. Using a wooden spoon break up the beef and sauté until cooked though, about 5-7 minutes. Add the kidney beans, lima beans, corn kernels, green sweet peas and diced tomatoes. Stir until combined. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Drop in the pasta shells and let them cook in the stew. After the pasta is cooked, add the wine and reduce the heat to a simmer for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Makes 12-14 servings. 4 points per serving.

Notes
I tallied up how much this soup would cost eliminating the olive oil and red wine (olive oil is a staple and the red wine is totally optional) and it was under $27 meaning it’s about $2 per serving. Great value during these hard times!