Lemon Chicken Soup With Spinach And Pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion -- chopped

4 cloves garlic -- minced

4 celery stalk -- chopped fine

2 carrot -- minced

1 red bell pepper -- chopped

8 cups fat-free chicken broth

2 cups shell pasta -- (small)

2 cups cooked chicken -- cubed

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons lemon peel -- grated

6 cups fresh spinach -- stems removed

salt and pepper -- to taste

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cook 1 minute. Add celery. carrots, pepper and saute until tender, about 8 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook about 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile cook pasta in large pot of boiling water, drain. (Note: I cook pasta in water rather than broth so the pasta won't soak up all my homemade broth,. If you want, add pasta to broth after 20 minutes, cook 10 minutes and go to step 3. You will probably need to add more broth or water to soup.)

3. Mix in pasta, chicken, lemon juice, peel and spinach. Cook until spinach just wilts. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 8 2-cup servings at 317 calories, 4 gram fat 3 grams fiber.

Optional: Sprinkle freshly grated parmesan in bowls after serving. Amount will objviously affect calories and fat.