Mediterranean Grilled Vegetable Soup

For the final meal preparation in ProStart, the students chose to do a Mediterranean themed meal. They each chose one course to prepare and then had to find a recipe to make. The person who chose soup chose this recipe from Eating Well (another good recipe from them!). It was so easy to make, has no cooking time (although you could serve it hot), really healthy, and so fresh and good tasting! Definitely not a pretty looking dish, but really good!

Mediterranean Grilled Vegetable Soup
2 red bell peppers, cored and quartered lengthwise
1 yellow bell pepper, cored and quartered lengthwise
2 small zucchini, trimmed and quartered lengthwise
1 red onion, peeled and cut into ½ inch thick slices
1 t olive oil
3 large tomatoes, cored and chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled
½ t oregano
¼ c basil leaves, shredded
1 T red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups water or chicken broth or vegetable broth

1/4 cup milk or cream (we added milk and broth AFTER this picture was taken, to make it creamier. Much better!)

Prepare a grill or preheat the broiler. Grill or broil bell peppers, skin side toward the flame, until the skin is blackened, 5 to 10 minutes. Place in a paper bag and set aside for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, brush zucchini and onion slices with oil and grill or broil until well browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Chop coarsely and set aside.
Peel the peppers. Coarsely chop the yellow pepper and set aside with the reserved zucchini and onions. Place the red peppers in a food processor or blender, along with tomatoes, garlic, and oregano; puree until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in 2 cups water or broth, milk or cream, basil, vinegar, and the reserved chopped vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. (we pureed everything together at this point). Cover and refrigerate until cool, about 30 minutes. The soup can be stored and covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Per serving: (6 servings in recipe): 56 calories, 2 g protein, 1 g fat, 11 g carb, 12 mg sodium