Cheesy Mashed Potato Soup

Yields: 6 cups | 3 pts per cup

My rating:

You will love this deliciously cheesy and savory soup! It's easy to make and, even with all the cheese, surprisingly low in pts. For a chunkier soup, use a potato-masher instead of blending the soup at the end. I've found the fat-free cheese to melt better than the reduced-fat. I also recommend making this a few hours or a day ahead of time - it gets even thicker and creamier the longer it sits in the fridge! Yum!

Ingredients:

1 serving cooking spray (5 one-second sprays per serving)
1 medium onion, chopped or coursely grated
2 medium carrots, coarsely grated (I use 1 cup shredded carrot)
3/4 tsp table salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 pound red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 medium potatoes)
29 oz vegetable broth
1/2 cup fat-free creamer, such as fat-free Half and Half
8 oz fat-free cheddar cheese *

*Using 2% cheddar will increase points by 2 per cup, so it would be 5 points per cup.

Directions:

Coat a nonstick medium pot with cooking spray and set over medium heat. Cook onions until they just begin to color, about 5 minutes. Add carrots, salt, pepper, paprika and mustard, stirring to mix; cook until carrots begin to soften, about 2 minutes.

Add potatoes, broth and half-and-half. Increase heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Add cheese, a little bit at a time, and stir to melt.

Puree in batches in a blender or food processor. For a chunkier soup, use a potato masher instead. (I personally like to boil 1 cup of the diced potatoes separately, and then add them at the end to the pureed soup.)

Yields about 6 cups (3 points per cup)

Nutritional Info (per cup using fat-free cheese): 162 calories, 0.4 g. fat, 0.8 g. fiber (3 points per cup)

Nutritional Info (per cup using 2% cheese): 212.8 calories, 8 g. fat, 0.8 g. fiber (5 points per cup)