Spicy Roasted Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
1 medium yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
1 jalapeno chile, cored, seeded and minced (see note)
1 cup corn kernels (see note)
4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 celery stalk, trimmed and chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
½ teaspoon crushed dried oregano
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon pepper
4 cups (1 quart) reduced-sodium vegetable broth
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
Optional toppings and add-ins: unsalted baked tortilla chips, cooked black beans, reduced-fat shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

PLACE red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, chile and corn kernels in a shallow roasting pan. DRIZZLE with 2 teaspoons canola oil. ROAST in preheated 400-degree oven for 15 minutes, stirring once. ADD tomatoes, stir and roast an additional 15 minutes, stirring once. Meanwhile, HEAT remaining 2 teaspoons oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. ADD garlic, celery and onion. COOK for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. STIR IN oregano, cumin and pepper. REMOVE roasted vegetables from oven and add to Dutch oven. STIR well. ADD broth. BRING to a boil; REDUCE heat to low and SIMMER 5 minutes to blend flavors. SPRINKLE on cilantro. SERVE with one or more optional toppings if desired.

Makes 4 generous servings.

Note: The heat in jalapeno chilies varies greatly. Take a tiny taste and decide whether to use the entire chile in the soup. For 1 cup of corn, use a paring knife to remove the kernels from 2 medium ears of corn. If desired, substitute 1 cup of frozen corn kernels.

Nutritional information: