Tomato Florentine Soup

It is definitely soup weather here in Chicago! Nothing warms you up after coming in from shoveling in a blizzard like a hot bowl of soup. I love a big hearty, steamy bowl loaded with veggies. And one vegetable I've really come to love in soups is spinach. This combines fresh spinach with other fresh veggies and seasoned canned tomatoes and it's perfect for a winter lunch meal with a slice of crusty bread or some buttery crackers - or if you're really hungry it goes great with a ham or turkey panini.

Ingredients:

1 46-ounce can vegetable juice
1 can water
14.5 ounce can Hunt's Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic and Oregano
3/4 cup sliced carrots

3/4 cup sliced celery
1/4 diced white onion
Spices to taste (garlic salt, basil, black pepper, parsley, oregano, thyme)
8 ounces of fresh spinach, roughly cut
12 ounces pasta (tri-color rotini or farfalle work great)
Fresh Parmesan cheese, optional

Place vegetable juice, water and can of tomatoes in soup pot. Add spices and vegetables (except spinach) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Return to a boil. Add spinach and pasta and boil for 10 to 12 minutes or until pasta is soft. If desired, top with some freshly grated Parmesan.

This recipe is so yummy that Hunt's featured us as their Hunt's Spotlight on their Facebook page!