Kathy Manweiler: Slimming down broccoli cheese soup: Here's a low fat-version that cuts the calories

ANY TIME cheese and half-and-half are key ingredients in a recipe, you can count on plenty of calories and fat grams - even with vegetables in the mix.

That was the case with a copycat version of T.G.I. Friday's broccoli cheese soup I found on RecipeZaar.com. One cup contains 269 calories and 16.7 fat grams. Eating a small order of McDonald's french fries instead would save you 39 calories and 5.7 fat grams.

I wanted a slimmer soup, so I poured in 2 percent milk to replace some of the chicken broth and the half-and-half. I also used less flour and substituted Velveeta made with 2 percent milk for processed American cheese.

Next, I pureed part of the soup to help thicken it. Using a little onion powder instead of minced onion helps the soup's texture.

My changes reduced the calories by 32 percent and trimmed the fat by 58 percent. You can have a cup of my broccoli cheese soup for 183 calories and 7 fat grams.

KATHY'S BROCCOLI CHEESE SOUP

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 1/2 cups 2 percent milk

8 ounces light processed cheese, cubed (such as Velveeta made with 2 percent milk)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 cups bite-size broccoli florets without stems

Combine chicken broth, milk, cheese, flour, onion powder and pepper in a stockpot on low to medium-low heat. Whisk to break up any lumps of flour, then turn heat up to medium-high.

Whisking constantly, bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to low.

Add broccoli and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until broccoli is tender. Using an immersion blender, puree about a third of the soup to thicken it. Serve immediately. Makes 6 cups; serves 6.

Per 1-cup serving: 183 calories, 13 carb grams, 691 mg sodium, 7 fat grams, 10 protein grams, 16mg cholesterol, 1.4 fiber grams.

(Adapted from a RecipeZaar.com recipe.)

Do you have a favorite food or popular recipe that you'd like to see made healthier? Send your ideas and recipes, along with a daytime phone number, to Kathy Manweiler at kmanweiler@ wichitaeagle.com, or mail to: Don't Say Diet, McClatchy Newspapers, P.O. Box 820, Wichita, KS 67201.