Yet another soup that was absolutely fantastic, found on the Sister's Cafe. (Picture also from their site as I didn't get a picture and their picture is better than I could have taken)
Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup
2 cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 c finely diced celery
1 c finely diced carrots
4 c chicken broth
1 c finely diced onions
1/2 bay leaf
1 tsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried basil
1/2 c butter
1/2 c flour
1 c Parmesan cheese
2 c half and half, warmed (we used whole milk since we had it on hand)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
In a large crock pot, combine tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions. (If using fresh herbs, add these now, if not, add at the last hour of cook time). Cover and cook on low for 5 to 7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.
About an hour before serving prepare a roux: Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour; stirring constantly with a whisk. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup from the crock pot. Add another 3 cups soup and stir until smooth.
Add all back into the crock pot. Stir and add Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt, pepper, basil, bay leaf and oregano.
The soup looked delicious at this point, but my sister and I felt it would be better if we pureed the soup a bit. Using our immersion blender we blended all ingredients to make it smooth.
