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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