Zesty Turkey Tomato Soup

• 1/4 pound lean ground turkey
• 1 small zucchini, diced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 can (14.5 oz) reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1 C Mexican diced tomatoes
• 1/3 C uncooked whole wheat spiral pasta
• 1/2 tsp minced fresh basil
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1 Tbsp chopped jalapeno pepper, optional
• shredded cheddar cheese, optional

1. In a large saucepan, cook the turkey, zucchini and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
2. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, pasta, basil, cumin, pepper and jalapeno if desired. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 13-15 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Garnish with cheese if desired.

Robyn's notes: I left the jalapeno pepper out because he and I are both of the opinion that too much spice in foods is just a way of covering up bad cooking. This was really spicy even without the pepper, so we were both glad I didn't use it. I used farfalle (bowtie) pasta because it was what I had in the house. There wasn't much liquid in the soup, but it was good anyway. And the liquid was the spiciest part.