I’ve had this recipe on my ‘to do’ list since last week but was missing the fire roasted tomatoes. The wine guy picked up a can of the tomaters so I’m back in the soup making business.

I would have preferred roasting the peppers on the grill. But, Michigan’s mid-thirties temp forced me to go with plan B. The oven. Roasting the peppers is easy. Removing the skin, pulp and seeds is the messy part. Thank you Wine Guy for doing that part for me.

Here’s what you need to make this kick-butt soup with just a hint of hot.

• 2 Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
• 4 cups vegetable broth  (no sodium)
• 1 can crushed fires roasted tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 or 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (I used the kind in a jar)
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
• Chopped green onions and roasted chickpeas (for garnish)

Roast peppers in oven at a 450 degree setting. Cook until charred black. When peppers are cool enough to handle, remove the skin, pulp and seeds. Do this over a bowl so you can reserve all the yummy juices for the soup stock.

Don’t get in a tizzy if a few stray seeds are left on the peppers. They add additional flavor to the soup.

Prep the onion, potatoes, and green onion and set aside. Add oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and yellow onion to a large soup pot. Cook onion over low heat until caramelized. (20 minutes, stirring often).

Add garlic, dried herbs, 1/2 teaspoon slat and pepper to the onion mixture. Stir until mixed, then add tomatoes, potatoes, vegetable stock and 1 medium size chipotle pepper. No need to dice the chipotle, it will be emulsified later. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

Stirred peeled red peppers and juices into the soup stock and bring to a boil. Turn heat down until soap is simmering.

Remove soup from heat and blend the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Return pot to heat and simmer for 15 more minutes, until thicken. Taste test. If needed, add additional salt or pepper.

If you want to kick up the level of hotness a notch or two, add a few red pepper flakes. I tend to like a more medium level of spiciness, but if you’re game, go for the heartburn!

Ladle hot soup into bowls and garnish with green onion and roasted chickpeas. I used pre-roasted chick peas, but you can roast your own (see recipe).

Here’s the down and dirty about this soup’s calories. They’re low, like 88 calories per cup low, and packed with a powerful punch of vitamin C. This soup is also a good source of iron, dietary fiber and vitamin A, not to mention low in unsaturated fat and cholesterol.
Freeze in portions and thaw as needed. This recipe will serve up to 8 people

Last week my grandson, Carson, expressed to me his love of Cracker Barrel’s chicken & dumplings. He asked if I could make them. I said, “Not only can I make them, I can make them even better!” This was last night’s dinner and it scored big points with him.

After five bowls of soup (yes, five!!) and a slice of buttered bread, Carson affirmed with great certainty that this was his new, MOST favorite dish. That put a big smile on my face as I thought it was pretty awesome tasting too.

I was going to use a biscuit mix to make the dumplings, but as usual, I had none. The alternative was to make my own from flour which is a messy task. In the end, I’m glad I did. They were bite-size and more noodle-like in texture and taste.

Prep time took about 30 minutes and cook time 15 minutes. The finished soup yielded a rich, creamy base with just the right amount of seasoning.

Ingredients

• 1 pound diced chicken meat, pre-cooked (I bought a roasted chicken from the grocery deli)
• 1 celery rib, diced
• 1 carrot , diced
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
• 1 (10 3/4 ounce) low fat condensed cream of chicken soup
• 2 tablespoons “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter”
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1 quart chicken stock (low-fat, low-sodium). I like the paper container from Swanson.
• 3/4 cup frozen peas (optional)

Dumplings

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Ice water, about 3/4 cup

 How To

Heat a large soup pot over medium high heat, adding oil, butter, veggies and bay leaf. Cook 5 minutes, stirring often.

Add flour to veggies and cook for 2 more minutes. Gradually add the broth, stir and bring to a boil.Once broth comes to a boil, add the pre-cooked chicken to the pot and stir. Add the canned soup to the pot and whisk until well blended in the stock.

Prepare Dumplings:

Dust a generous amount of flour onto a clean work area. Mix flour and salt in a bowl. Gather into a mound and drizzle a tablespoon of ice water in the center of the mound. Using your fingers, knead the dough mixture up against the sides of the bowl. Gradually incorporate all of the ice water. Continue to knead dough and shape into a ball.

Roll out dough on flour work area until it is 1/8″ thick. Allow dough to set for a minute or so before cutting into dumplings.

Cut dough into one-inch wide strips. Tear off 1/2 inch pieces and drop into the simmering soup stock. Make sure the dumplings are totally submerged in the stock. Do not stir the stock. Use the tip of a spoon to push any rebellious dumpling down into the soup.

Reduce heat to medium low. Cover pot tightly and cook dumplings until they float and are no longer doughy (about 5-6 minutes).

Remove cover and add peas and remove pan from heat.Stir chicken and dumplings to thicken sauce and serve in warm shallow bowls with a side of hard-crusted bread for dipping.

I often mention my daughter picks up Blimpy Girl lunches every morning on her way to work (she’s an administrator at a school). Not only does she work full time, she is also a mommy to three little people. I know she appreciates having a prepared lunch that is both healthy and way lower in calories than fast food joints.

This is the today’s school lunch. Cheesy broccoli soup with a few Cheez-it crackers. A side dish of fresh berries is the salad substitute. Of course, Diet Coke is always on the menu for my daughter. The candy cane, well… let’s just say it lends itself to the holiday season.

I must say it’s pretty yummie and low cal considering all the cheeziness. Grab the Recipe