Cream of Sun-dried Tomato Soup

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== Ingredients ==
* 1 quart milk, whole, low-fat or skim
* 1 small onion, peeled and stuck with
* 2 cloves
* 6 whole peppercorns (or more)
* 1 pinch salt
* 4 tbsp rice flour (or barley or oat flour)
* 4 tbsp cold milk (about)
* 1 pack sun-dried tomatoes (3 oz)
* 2 cup water
=== Bouquet garni ===
* 6 fresh parsley stems
* ½ tsp dried leaf thyme
* ½ bay leaf
=== Optional ===
* 6 tbsp heavy cream
* chopped herbs for garnish (basil, chervil or parsley)
== Directions ==
=== Bouquet garni ===
# Tie the herbs in a cheesecloth.
=== Soup ===
# 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.
Category:Barley Recipes
Category:Basil Recipes
Category:Heavy cream Recipes
Category:Low-fat milk Recipes
Category:Low-calorie Recipes
Category:Oat flour Recipes
Category:Chervil Recipes