Tomato-Basil Soup

Source: Cooking Light, July 2000

4 cups chopped seeded peeled tomato (about 4 large)
4 cups low-sodium tomato juice
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
Basil leaves, thinly sliced (optional)
8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices diagonally cut French bread baguette

Bring tomato and juice to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes.Place tomato mixture and basil in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. (You may want to wait until the addition of the cream cheese to blend until smooth - this will help to avoid those unsightly little white lumps from the cream cheese that seem to very difficult to blend in nicely.) Return pureed mixture to pan; stir in milk, salt, and pepper. Add cream cheese, stirring well with a whisk, and cook over medium heat until thick (about 5 minutes). Ladle soup into individual bowls; garnish with sliced basil, if desired. Serve with bread.

NOTE: Refrigerate remaining soup in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup soup and 1 bread slice)

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 133(30% from fat); FAT 4.4g (sat 2.4g,mono 1.3g,poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 5.4g; CHOLESTEROL 12mg; CALCIUM 77mg; SODIUM 310mg; FIBER 1.9g; IRON 1.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 18.7g

Cooking Light, JULY 2000

My notes: This recipe is simple, delicious and freezes quite well. I love to make a few batches in the summer and freeze some for those dreary winter days.

I talked about this recipe HERE.