Mediterranean Chickpea, Tomato, and Pasta Soup

This is one of those "lifesaver" recipes I have made for years, and will probably continue making for the rest of my life, because it's easy, healthy, and made entirely from things that we always have on hand. That it's a decently tasty little soup is of course important as well! Add a hunk of bread, a little bit of cheese, or whatever else strikes your fancy, and take the leftovers to the office the next day.

I must say, however, that last night I managed to ruin this by lazily leaving it on the stove with low heat while I went to yoga; the pasta did not enjoy this treatment. We live and learn.

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 1/2 cups water
1 (16-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup uncooked ditalini (very short tube-shaped macaroni)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, and sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add the water and next 6 ingredients (water through tomatoes). Bring mixture to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pasta, and cook 9 minutes or until pasta is tender. Stir in chopped parsley.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

CALORIES 242 (17% from fat); FAT 4.7g (sat 0.6g,mono 2.2g,poly 1.3g); PROTEIN 11.4g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 79mg; SODIUM 560mg; FIBER 4.6g; IRON 3.6mg; CARBOHYDRATE 39.9g

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 1998