Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup

2 tsp. olive oil
½ C. chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium carrot, finely grated
2/3 C. roasted red peppers, chopped
1 (14-ounce) can no-salt diced tomatoes
1 (14-ounce) reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. dried basil
¼ tsp. black pepper
¾ tsp. cornstarch
1 C. fresh spinach leaves, cut into ½ inch ribbons
¼ C. crumbled reduced fat feta cheese

Heat the oil in a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly softened and translucent. Add the garlic and carrot, sauté another 2 minutes, and then add the red peppers, tomatoes, broth, basil, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer the hot soup to a blender, or use an immersion blender, and blend until smooth. Mix the cornstarch with one 1 T. of water, return the pureed soup to the pot if using a blender, and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Bring the bisque to a low simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until thickened and warm. Stir in the spinach and simmer one additional minute to wilt spinach.

Crumble feta on top of soup just before serving. Jars of roasted red peppers come in many sizes. An 8-ounce jar, drained, yields about 2/3 C.. Leftover peppers can be used in salads or layered on sandwiches for extra flavor!

 

Yield: 4 servings

Calories: 90

Fat: 3.5g

Fiber: 3g