Recipes

Soups and Sandwiches: Soups

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Lighter French Onion Soup

Ingredients:

• 3 ounces (3/4 cup) shredded, reduced-fat Jarlsberg or Swiss cheese
• 4 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 large yellow or sweet onions, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 12 ounces nonalcoholic or light beer (substitute apple cider if desired)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup Madeira wine or similar, (substitute vegetable broth if desired)
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable, chicken, or beef broth
• 10 1/2-ounce can condensed beef consommé
• Soup croutons (recipe follows)

Preparation:

1. Combine the swiss and Parmesan cheeses; set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick soup pot or saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and garlic, and cook until the onions begin to brown.
2. Add 1/2 cup of the beer and cook until the onions begin to caramelize. Add the pepper and continue stirring another minute. Add the wine and the remaining 1-cup beer, and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the broth and consommé, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
3. Preheat the broiler. Ladle the soup into ovenproof soup bowls. Float 1 crouton on top of each serving and sprinkle with the cheese mixture. Set the bowls on a baking sheet and place under the broiler until the cheese is lightly browned and bubbling (the cheese can also be melted in the microwave.)

Yield:
Makes 6 servings (each about 1 cup)

Nutritional Information:
Per serving (including soup croutons): 350 calories, 17 g protein, 49 g carbohydrate, 8.8 g fat (3.5 g saturated fat), 13 mg cholesterol, 4 g fiber, 900 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 24 percent.

Soup Croutons (for French Onion Soup and other soups)

You can make these croutons a day ahead, just keep them in a sealed plastic bag until you are ready to serve them.

Ingredients:

• 6 slices sourdough or French bread, sliced on the diagonal
• Olive oil cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons shredded or grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat both sides of the bread with olive oil cooking spray. Place on a cookie sheet and sprinkle the tops of the slices with Parmesan cheese.
2. Bake until crisp and golden brown, about 15 minutes (check often, so the croutons don't burn). Serve with soup according to recipe.

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