Foto Friday :: Tomato-Basil Parmesan Soup

There are some things about cooking that make me really happy. One is color, I love it when it looks so pretty. One color combination I love is onion, carrots and celery. It just looks so good together. 

Another thing I love about cooking is using the crock pot or oven. I like being able to prepare it hours before and then it's just ready when we are ready to eat. It's AWESOME!

This recipe is one I found on...dum-de-dum....PINTEREST! Of course, where else. :) And it had both these things that I love so I wanted to share. It was good, sort of like a grown up tomato soup. Serve with bread or a grilled cheese (with garlic) and it's delicious. 

Here is the recipe...

2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice

1 cup finely diced celery

1 cup finely diced carrots

1 cup finely diced onions

1 tsp dried oregano or 1 T fresh oregano

1 T dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil

4 cups chicken broth

½ bay leaf

½ cup flour

1 cup Parmesan cheese

½ cup butter

2 cups half and half, warmed

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil (if using fresh oregano and basil, if using dried oregano and basil add it in the last hour of cook time), and bay leaf to a large slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 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. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow cooker. Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for another hour until ready to serve.

 I missed the "Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth" part, so mine wasn't very creamy, but I think if I would have followed the directions it would have been. lol.

ENJOY!