Spinach Bisque

This is a very quick and easy soup to make. It's not low in calories, but is actually quite low in carbs, if that matters to you. It's very rich, and because of that, it's difficult to eat more than a small bowl of it at one time. It makes a great first course to serve before a meal, and it's also really good with a grilled cheese sandwich.

Spinach Bisque2 pkg frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 1/2 - 8oz blocks cream cheese, softened
1  1/2 cups half and half
1 can chicken broth
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove minced garlic (opt)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
In a soup pot, combine spinach and half and half. Cook over medium-low heat until heated through. (To make sure cream cheese blends well, beat with a wire whisk until very smooth before adding to spinach mixture.) Add remaining ingredients. Cook, uncovered, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted and soup is hot. Yield: about 6 servings

Note: You could probably substitute milk for the half and half and use low fat cream cheese if you wanted to. You could also use just one package of spinach, depending on how dense with spinach you want it to be.