Creamy Tomato Soup with Herbs

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 small onion (for about 1/2 cup chopped)
• 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
• 2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans chopped tomatoes seasoned with basil, garlic and oregano*
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup low-fat milk, whole milk or half-and-half
• 1/4 cup grated or shredded parmesan cheese
• Plain or garlic croutons, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a 4 1/2-quart Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Peel and finely chop the onion and add it to the pot. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, open the tomato and tomato sauce cans.
2. Add the garlic, and stir and cook 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes with their juices and the tomato sauce. Raise the heat to high, and bring the soup to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the milk and parmesan cheese. Do not boil the soup after the milk has been added. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and serve at once, garnished with croutons, if desired.

4 servings

* For testing purposes, we used the Del Monte brand of diced tomatoes seasoned with basil, garlic and oregano. If you can't find the seasoned tomatoes, add 1/2 teaspoon each dried basil and dried oregano with plain diced tomatoes.

Per serving: 181 calories (16 percent from fat), 3 g fat (1 g saturated), 7 mg cholesterol, 9 g protein, 31 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber, 1,725 mg sodium