Hot and Sour Vegetable Soup

Hot and Sour Vegetable Soup
Garnish with chopped parsley.

Serves: 8

• 1 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup red bell peppers, cut into julienne strips
• 1 1/2 cups chopped green onions
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar (more if you like it more sour)
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (start out small and add to taste)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 pound snow peas, fresh or frozen (optional) *
• 1 pound firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 - 8 ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a soup kettle and saute the green onions and bell peppers together until tender. Add water, vegetable stock, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover lightly, and cook for 5 minutes.

Blend cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water. In a bowl, blend the vinegar, pepper flakes, cornstarch blend, and sesame oil. Stir into the hot soup and then add the tofu, snow peas, and water chesnuts. Again cover, and cook for about 5 minutes or until thick and bubbly.

Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Per Serving: 156 Calories; 6g Fat (32.6% calories from fat); 1g Saturated Fat; 8g Protein; 20g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 1mg Cholesterol; 569mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

* For a more traditional soup, try adding mushrooms and bamboo shoots instead of snow peas.