Savory Beet Soup

For added creaminess and a lovely presentation, we swirled this vibrantly colored soup with sour cream.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup soup)

Ingredients

• 1  teaspoon  olive oil
• 1  cup  chopped onion
• 4  cups  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 2  cups  water
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 3  medium beets, peeled and halved
• 1  medium potato, peeled and halved crosswise
• 1  bay leaf
• 1  teaspoon  lemon juice
• 8  teaspoons  reduced-fat sour cream

Preparation

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add broth and next 6 ingredients (through bay leaf). Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes or until beets and potato are tender. Discard bay leaf.

Place one-third broth mixture in blender or food processor; process until smooth. Place pureed mixture in a large bowl. Repeat procedure twice with remaining broth mixture. Return pureed mixture to pan. Warm soup over low heat for 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat, and stir in lemon juice.

Combine 1/2 cup soup and the sour cream, stirring with a whisk. Divide soup evenly among each of 8 bowls. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream mixture; swirl sour cream mixture using the tip of a knife.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

74 (16% from fat)

Fat:

1.3g (sat 0.5g,mono 0.4g,poly 0.1g)

Protein:

3.3g

Carbohydrate:

12.3g

Fiber:

2.2g

Cholesterol:

3mg

Iron:

0.7mg

Sodium:

343mg

Calcium:

23mg