1 qt Milk; whole, low-fat or skim

      1 sm Onion; peeled and stuck with

      2    Cloves

      6    Whole peppercorns (or more)

      1 pn Salt

-------------------------------BOUQUET GARNI-------------------------------
           :Tie in cheesecloth:
      6    Fresh parsley stems

    1/2 ts Dried leaf thyme

    1/2    Bay leaf

--------------------------------SOUP, CON'T--------------------------------
      4 tb Rice flour

           -(or barley or oat flour)
      4 tb Cold milk (about)

      1 pk Sun-dried tomatoes (3 oz)

      2 c  Water

----------------------------------OPTIONAL----------------------------------
      6 tb Heavy cream

           Chopped Herbs for garnish*
           -(basil, chervil or parsley)
  This creamy, vibrant red soup has but 100 calories per serving if you use
  low-fat milk and no cream.
  PLACE THE MILK, ONION, peppercorns, salt and bouquet garni in a saucepan
  and bring slowly to a boil. Form a smooth paste of the rice flour and the
  cold milk. Put into the just-boiling milk and stir briskly until there are
  no lumps. Simmer over very low heat for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, boil the
  sun-dried tomatoes in the 2 cups of water; do not drain. Strain the milk
  mixture, add the tomatoes and their liquid, and simmer another 5 minutes.
  In a blender, in batches, liquefy the soup. Return to the stove and bring
  just to a boil. Add the optional cream, if desired, and serve in hot bowls
  garnished with a minced green herb.