3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community - White Beans with Roasted Red Peppers and Pesto (Cooking Light)

White Beans with Roasted Red Pepper and Pesto
(From Cooking Light. Originally planned for a pressure cooker. Since I do not have one, I modified it)
Add a green salad to this simple rustic dish for a satisfying supper.

Pesto (or buy a premade kind to save time):
2 cups loosely packed basil leaves
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, crushed

Beans:
3 cans of Great Northern beans, with liquid
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onion (one large onion)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped bottled roasted red bell peppers (one jar)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

To prepare pesto, combine first 8 ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth. (or buy the premade and save this step)

Combine beans, 1 cup water, onion, sage, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 2 garlic cloves in a large soup pot or dutch oven. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, bell peppers, and vinegar. Stir well to combine.

Heat over medium-high heat for 30 minutes or until onions are translucent and broth is fragrant.

Serve bean mixture in bowls and top with two tablespoons of pesto. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup bean mixture and 2 tablespoons pesto)

NUTRITION PER SERVING

CALORIES 292 (25% from fat);
FAT 8g (sat 2.1g, mono 4.1g, poly 1.2g);
PROTEIN 16.3g;
CARB 40.5g;
FIBER 12.7g;
CHOL 5mg;
IRON 3.9mg;
SODIUM 542mg;
CALC 212mg;

This was awesome! I'm on Phase 2 and added a whole wheat roll with some "Smart Beat" spread. But I had it alone for lunch and it was even good reheated without the bread. Yum!