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Low-Fat Broccoli and Cheese Soup

Source of Recipe

Cooking Light, Jan/Feb '02


Recipe Introduction

This is an easy and delicious broccoli cheese soup that's lower in fat and calories than most. I add a little ground chipotle to the soup which gives it a hint of smokey heat in the background. I mail-order it from a spice company called Penzeys, which is where I get most of my spices/seasonings. http://www.penzeys.com/

Recipe Link: find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=231619

List of Ingredients

1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves -- minced or crushed
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) package fresh broccoli florets (OR a couple stalks fresh broccoli with the florets chopped OR a bag of frozen chopped broccoli--thawed)
2 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk (I wouldn't use skim but I often use 1 1/2 cups 1% milk mixed w/1 cup whole milk if I don't have 2%)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces Light Velveeta (full-fat would also be fine), diced
ground chipotle, to taste (my addition and not in the original recipe)


Recipe


1. Heat a large nonstick saucepan coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 3 minutes or so until tender. Add broth and broccoli. Bring broccoli mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10 minutes.

2. Combine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add milk mixture to broccoli mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Stir in pepper. Remove from heat; add cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Add ground chipotle, if desired.

3. Place one-third of the soup in a blender or food processor (I just leave all the soup in the pot and puree part of it with an immersion blender--I leave it a little chunky), and process until smooth. Return pureed soup mixture to pan.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups).

CALORIES 203 (28% from fat); FAT 6.3g (sat 4g, mono 1.8g, poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 15.6g; CARB 21.7g; FIBER 2.9g; CHOL 24mg; IRON 1.2mg; SODIUM 897mg; CALC 385mg