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Published Thursday, February 02, 2012 in Close-Up

Special

Super Bowl Tomato Soup

A secret menu for Super Bowl Sunday

By DANA JACOBI

American Institute for Cancer Research

On Super Bowl Sunday, planning a smart spread will make you a winner. For example, if you must serve chicken wings, bake them. For cold munchies, also favor baked snacks. But remember, the calories in baked potato chips and corn chips still add up very quickly. Even sticking with crudités and fat-free dip, keep dipping in and those calories will mount up faster than offside penalties.

So suppose your menu includes a zesty, fiber-rich and low-fat refried-bean dip accompanied by platters of colorful raw vegetables, and you blend fat-free yogurt into the guacamole. Your chili will be meatless and lean, the rice served with it whole-grain. There still is something else you can you do to come out a winner: Make this a "Souperbowl Sunday." Here's the secret: Studies show that eating soup before a meal helps you eat less. Not to worry, you can help your team stay leaner without the clutter and distraction of bowls and spoons when you serve this tomato soup. Thick and intensely flavorful, it is great sipped from a mug.

Preoccupied fans will think they are getting the cozy, canned original. Foodies hanging around for the feast will admire your clever, healthy re-creation of the soup everyone loves. Your game plan is to keep those mugs full all day and easy to reach.

Low in calories on its own, this smart strategy can help reduce how much you eat. It might even fill you up enough to resist that third brownie.

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SUPER BOWL TOMATO SOUP

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

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1 cup chopped onion

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1/3 cup chopped scallions, green and white parts

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1 (28-oz.) can no-salt added

whole tomatoes in tomato sauce

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3 marinated sun-dried tomato halves, rinsed and chopped

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1 teaspoon dried basil

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1/2 teaspoon sugar

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1 cup low-sodium tomato juice

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Salt and freshly ground pepper

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Garlic croutons, if desired, for garnish

In small Dutch oven or large, heavy saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and scallions, and cook until onions are soft, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes one at a time, holding each over the pot and crushing it through your fingers. Add tomato sauce remaining in can. Add sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer soup for 20 minutes.

Using immersion blender, food processor or regular blender, purée soup until it is pulpy to smooth, as you prefer. Blend in tomato juice. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, garnished with croutons, if using. Or cool soup and refrigerate, tightly covered, for up to 3 days.

Makes 6 servings.

Per serving: 71 calories, 2.5 g fat (< 1 g sat fat), 12 g carbohydrates,

2 g protein 2 g fiber, 64 mg sodium.