Healthy Living / Recipes / Italian & Mediterranean
White Bean, Tomato & Spinach Soup
Beans are the carbohydrate and the protein. Pair it with a salad, not automatic bread.
A balanced-plate meal idea from Run 4 Awareness, built on the Diabetes Plate Method.
Carbohydrates in this meal
about 26 g total carbohydrate · about 8 g fiber, per serving (estimated)
Main sources: white beans and tomato, with a little from the carrot.
Carbohydrates raise blood glucose, and the response is different for each person. This meal pairs a measured carbohydrate portion with protein, fiber, and non-starchy vegetables. Use the amount and timing in your personal diabetes plan. If you use insulin or medicine that can cause low blood glucose, do not change your medicine or skip carbohydrate because of a recipe. Ask your care team when you are unsure. Figures are estimates from USDA FoodData Central.
Ingredients
US cup and spoon measures. Weigh ingredients where you can for a more consistent plate.
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 garlic cloves
- two 15-oz cans no-salt-added white beans, rinsed
- one 15-oz can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
- 6 cups unsalted broth
- 1 tsp rosemary
- black pepper
- 6 cups spinach
Directions
- Cook the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in the oil until softened.
- Add the beans, tomatoes, broth, rosemary, and pepper and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the spinach until wilted.
Build the plate
The beans are both the carbohydrate and the protein. Serve with a non-starchy salad.
Why this plate works: non-starchy vegetables for volume and fiber, a lean or plant protein, and one measured quality carbohydrate, with water or an unsweetened drink. This follows the Diabetes Plate Method taught by the American Diabetes Association and the CDC.
Substitutions
Frozen mirepoix and spinach for the fast route.
Allergens
Contains: none typical, verify the broth and beans. Always check the labels on packaged ingredients for cross-contact.
Food safety
Chill within 2 hours. Freezes well in single-meal portions. Safe internal temperatures: poultry 165F, fish 145F, ground meat 160F, whole pork 145F with a 3-minute rest, egg dishes 160F, leftovers reheated to 165F. Use a food thermometer.
General information, not medical or nutrition advice. These are everyday meal ideas built on the Diabetes Plate Method from the American Diabetes Association and the USDA Dietary Guidelines. They are not a treatment plan and are not tailored to any one person. Your carbohydrate targets, portion sizes, medicine, and meal timing should come from your own doctor, diabetes educator, or care team. If you take insulin or medicine that can cause low blood glucose, or you have kidney disease, are pregnant, or have food allergies, talk with your care team before changing how you eat. If anything here conflicts with what your care team told you, follow your care team.
Every recipe is portioned to the Diabetes Plate Method: half the plate non-starchy vegetables, a quarter lean or plant protein, a quarter quality carbohydrate, with water or an unsweetened drink. The Run 4 Awareness team kitchen-tests each recipe and checks it with CHamoru home cooks for local fit. Nutrition figures are estimates from the USDA FoodData Central database for the listed ingredients and amounts, not lab-tested. Cook to safe internal temperatures and check packaged ingredients for added sugar, sodium, gluten, and allergens. Read how these meals are built on the Diabetes Plate page, and see the Site & Health Disclaimer.