veggie baked potato soup



MMMmmm baked potato soup is SO delicious!!

BUT...being a vegetarian, I rarely get to enjoy it and I MISS IT! This type of soup is almost ALWAYS made with chicken broth and bacon- that is unless you make it yourself. This is the first time I'm making a soup- it always seemed silly to me to make soup from scratch when you can just open a can of soup and heat it up in the microwave for 3 minutes and enjoy. It just seemed like an awful lot of work when a canned soup is just as satisfying. But there's always a first for everything...

I got this recipe from a friend who got it from Gina's Skinny Recipes Cookbook and we altered it just a bit to make it vegetarian. It's a nice, thick, hearty soup- great for the approaching cold weather!

Veggie Baked Potato Soup

• 2 russet potatoes, washed and dried
• 1 small head of cauliflower, stem removed cut into florets
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups 1% reduced-fat milk
• salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 1/2 cup light sour cream
• 10 tbsp reduced-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 6 tbsp chopped chives, divided

Pierce potatoes with a fork; microwave on high for 5 minutes turn over and microwave another 3 - 5 minutes, until tender. Or if you prefer to use your oven, bake at 400° for 1 hour or until tender. Cool. Peel potatoes.

Meanwhile, steam cauliflower with water in a large covered pot until tender. Drain and return to pot.

  On medium heat, add vegetable broth, milk, potatoes and bring to a boil. Use an immersion blender (if you don't have one...a regular blender will work) to puree until smooth. Add sour cream, half the chives, salt and pepper and cook on low another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat. Ladle 1 cup soup into each bowl. Top each serving with 2 tbsp cheese and remaining chives.

And I saved the best for last... this soup is also LOW CAL/FAT

Calories: 207.6 • Fat: 7.8 g • Carb: 22.5 g • Fiber: 2.4 g • Protein: 11.9 g
(these nutrition facts are based on original recipe that used bacon and chicken broth)


enjoy:-)

(like my mug..haha...I swear I'm not really a crazy cat lady!)