About 6-8 Servings
Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 small onion
1 carrot
1-2 celery stalks
2 cloves of garlic
3 Tbsp flour
3 cups low-fat milk
1 (28-ounce) can plum tomatoes
4 Tbsp tomato paste
Oregano, cilantro, parsley, basil, paprika
Salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper
Dill, saffron, nutmeg (pinch), sugar (pinch)
Worcestershire Sauce
1 ½ cups of low sodium vegetable stock
2 Bay leaves
½ cup long-grain rice or whole grain rice
Garlic or cheese croutons (optional)
Instructions:
Finely chop the onion, carrot, celery, jalapeno and garlic. In a large soup pot, gently sauté vegetables in olive oil over medium heat until tender, about 5-8 minutes.
Sprinkle flour over the vegetables, stirring to coat evenly. Continue cooking for 2 minutes, scraping the pot often.
Wisk in 1 ½ cups of low-fat milk. When smooth, gently cook for additional 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, spices and then simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. It will be thick.
Transfer mixture to blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Return the puree to the pot. Add the remaining 1 ½ cups of low-fat milk and 1 ½ cups of stock, bay leaves and rice. Gently simmer until rice cooks, about 30 to 40 minutes.
Ladle into bowels and garnish with fresh cilantro, basil or Italian parsley. If desired, serve with garlic or cheese croutons.
Cooking Tips:
- To speed cooking time and ensure al dente rice, use pre-cooked rice. Either cook the rice separately or use yesterday’s leftovers from Thai take out and then add to soup.
- For chopped tomatoes, look for the Pomi brand from Italy. The product comes in a stay-fresh box and unlike canned tomatoes, contains no preservatives, water or citric acid.
- Oregano, basil and parsley really make tomato soup taste great. Use fresh or dried and be sure to use liberally.