White Bean, Spinach & Artichoke Soup

HomeClinics & ProgramsELLICSR KitchenWhite Bean, Spinach & Artichoke Soup

Skill Level	Easy

Preparation Time	10 minutes	Total Time	40 minutes
Servings	4	Cost Per Serving	$0.86

2 cups	White Navy Bean, from dried or canned
1	Large Artichoke (or 2 small-medium aritchokes), quartered outer leaves and fuzzy choke removed
1	Small Onion, roughly chopped
2	Carrots, small dice
2 cloves	Garlic, crushed
1/4 cup	Dried Porcini Mushrooms
1 400 ml can	Diced Tomatoes
3 cups	Spinach Leaves (whole Baby Spinach or roughly chopped Large Spinach)
500 ml	Vegetable Stock or Water
1 tbsp	Olive Oil
2	Bay Leaves
3	Thyme Sprigs
To Taste	Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

In a small sauce pot, heat your vegetable stock or water to a boil and then turn the heat off. Add your dried mushrooms.
Add the olive oil to a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until the pieces are soft and transparent, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add the beans, artichokes, tomatoes, bay leaves and thyme to the onion, carrot and garlic. Add the stock with the dried mushrooms.
Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the spinach, place a lid on the sauce pot and remove from heat. Season to taste. Serve.

PDF link to nutrition facts table for white bean artichoke and spinach soup

Folate and folic acid are a B vitamin that is needed to make DNA and red blood cells. Healthy cells also need folate for growth, repair and cell division. Foods rich in folate may help reduce cancer risk. Folate is found in foods such as asparagus, artichokes spinach, oranges, kidney beans, peanuts and whole grains. Not getting enough folate can lead to megaloblastic anemia.
Healthy adults need 400 micrograms of folate each day. One cup of cooked spinach provides 260 micrograms of folate, while one cup of cooked artichokes provides 200 micrograms.
Some people may need to take folic acid supplements. Women of childbearing age should take a supplement to make sure they are getting enough for healthy brain development of the fetus and to prevent birth defects. People that have had surgery to the small intestine or have celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease may have trouble absorbing folate. Ask your health care provider if you should be taking folate supplements. The safe upper limit for folic acid is 1000 micrograms per day.