Garlic Oatmeal Soup

This unusual soup is delicious, nutritious, and a snap to prepare. In case you’re wondering: Brief cooking mellows the garlic and onion. And the oatmeal bears no resemblance to breakfast cereal – it looks and tastes like tiny dumplings.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup uncooked rolled oats – not quick cooking type
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tomatoes, fresh or canned, chopped
• 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• salt to taste
  

Prepare the soup in a saucepan that holds at least two quarts. Start by toasting the rolled oats in the saucepan: Heat over medium temperature for about three minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning. The oats are toasted when they darken slightly and start to smell like toasted grain. Put them in a dish and set aside.

Put the chopped onion and garlic in the saucepan and cook for a few minutes, stirring. Some of the onion may stick to the bottom, because you’re not using oil, but it doesn’t matter. Add the chopped tomato and the broth, and stir to release any stuck-on bits of onion. Bring the soup to a simmer. Add the toasted oatmeal and continue to simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste the soup and add salt if needed. Serve immediately. Note: leftovers will taste just as good, but the texture becomes a little cereal-like if you don’t serve it right away.

Serves 4

Per serving: 1/2 grain, 1 vegetable

Nutrition information (per serving): 200 calories, 8 g protein, 3 g total fat (0.5 g saturated fat), 37 g carbohydrates, 6 g dietary fiber, 4% of daily value of calcium