Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

Who doesn't love an awesome bowl of awesome soup on a cold, blustery day in winter? Or really, any day for that matter? My husband and I started a tradition of Soup Sunday's a while back and though we don't make soup every Sunday it is probably my favorite day of the week to do so. You have lots of time (usually) to just sit around and let things simmer as opposed to other days that are filled with work/errands/other stuff. I try not to plan too much for Sundays as I reserve those days for family, church, and of course, making soup!

This is another recipe I found on Pinterest and when I did a Google search to try to find the recipe that I used, I found that there really are a million different variations. I looked at a few of them and some of them are pretty much the same but what really appeals to me about this recipe was that it used a slow cooker. And it was so easy and not to mention delicious. It made a large batch as well so my husband and I were eating this soup everyday for lunch that week. So here goes:

Ingredients:
2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup each, finely diced celery, carrots and onions (the Holy Trinity of soup making as I've heard this combination of vegetables referred to before)
1 teaspoon dried Oregano, or 1 Tablespoon fresh Oregano (dried herbs are much more potent than fresh herbs)
4 cups chicken broth (I prefer to use low sodium)
1/2 bay leaf
1/2 cup flour (all purpose is fine)
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup butter
1.5-2 cups half and half cream, warmed
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
add tomatoes, celery, carrots, onions, chicken broth, oregano, basil and your bay leaf to a large slow cooker.

Like so. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 5-7 hours on low until vegetables are soft. I think I cooked for 5 hours only and the vegetables were cooked. You can leave the soup in the slow cooker on warm until just before you're ready to serve.
About 45 minutes before serving, prepare a roux (the same idea as for the Alfredo sauce in my previous post). Melt the butter in a sauce pan over low heat and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for a few minutes (the original recipe says 5-7, I say maybe 4-5). Slowly add in one cup of hot soup. Stir that up until smooth. Then add another 3 cups of the soup and stir again until smooth.

See how it's nice and thick and lumpy? Chuck that back into the slow cooker with the rest of the soup and give it a little stir. Add the Parmesan cheese, warm cream and salt and pepper. I had tasted the soup before adding the salt and pepper and I found that due to the Parmesan cheese the soup was salty enough for my liking so I didn't add any extra salt. Maybe a little more pepper instead.

Action shot! Anyway, once you have the last of the ingredients in, give it a taste and adjust any seasonings as you find necessary. Cover the soup up again and cook on low for another 30 minutes.

And there you have it. I served this with buns and garlic and herb butter. A perfect Soup Sunday if you ask me.

Take care folks,

xoxo

-A