No Guilt Creamy Vegetable Soup

• 1 leek, white and light green parts only, cleaned thoroughly and diced into quarter moons
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped 
• 3 carrots (about a lb.), peeled and chopped 
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 lb. baby creamer potatoes, sliced into quarters
• 1 tbsp. chopped garlic
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 - 32 oz. box miso ginger broth
• 1/2 cup fat free half & half
• grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Heat a pot over medium heat and generously spray with olive oil cooking spray.  Add the leek, onion, carrots and celery to the pot and stir to combine. Sprinkle the salt and red pepper flakes over the veggies and generously season with freshly ground black pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies soften, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the potatoes, garlic, bay leaves and thyme.  Cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour the broth into the pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until you can easily pierce the potatoes with a fork, 20 minutes.

Remove the soup from the heat and remove the bay leaves.  Use an immersion blender or stand blender to smooth out the soup.  Return the soup to the pot and stir in half and half.  Taste for seasoning, and adjust if needed.  Keep on very low heat if you aren't eating it right away.

Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

ENJOY!

Yields 4 servings (approx 2 1/4 cups each):  184 calories,  0 fat, 38 carbs, 7 grams protein (this does not include the Parmesan)