CREAM OF SUN-DRIED TOMATO SOUP

Servings: 4
Ingredients:

1 qt Milk; whole, low-fat or skim
1 sm Onion; peeled and stuck with
2    Cloves
6    Whole peppercorns (or more)
1 pn Salt

——————————-BOUQUET GARNI——————————-
:Tie in cheesecloth:
6 Fresh parsley stems
1/2 ts Dried leaf thyme
1/2 Bay leaf

——————————–SOUP, CON’T——————————–
4 tb Rice flour
-(or barley or oat flour)
4 tb Cold milk (about)
1 pk Sun-dried tomatoes (3 oz)
2 c Water

———————————-OPTIONAL———————————-
6 tb Heavy cream
Chopped Herbs for garnish*
-(basil, chervil or parsley)

This creamy, vibrant red soup has but 100 calories per serving if you use
low-fat milk and no cream.

PLACE THE MILK, ONION, peppercorns, salt and bouquet garni in a saucepan
and bring slowly to a boil. Form a smooth paste of the rice flour and the
cold milk. Put into the just-boiling milk and stir briskly until there are
no lumps. Simmer over very low heat for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, boil the
sun-dried tomatoes in the 2 cups of water; do not drain. Strain the milk
mixture, add the tomatoes and their liquid, and simmer another 5 minutes.
In a blender, in batches, liquefy the soup. Return to the stove and bring
just to a boil. Add the optional cream, if desired, and serve in hot bowls
garnished with a minced green herb.

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