Tomato Parmesan Basil Soup - Slow Cooker or Stove Top

It's snowing again.  Therefore, I shall justify sharing a soup recipe with you. 

Ya know what?  Even if it was summer, you should try this.  It's a healthy, filling dish.

Just plain marvelous.

Here are the necessities.

 Please don't poke fun at my measly pile of carrots.  They were all I had.

Dump two cans of diced tomatoes in a crockpot.  Juice and all.

Heave, throw or just nicely toss 1 cup each of diced celery, onions and carrots into the pot.

Add 1 tablespoon of dried basil.  If you're using fresh basil, (I'll try not to be jealous) use 1/4 cup.

The recipe calls for oregano, which I didn't have.  If you'd like to use this spice as well, use 1 teaspoon of dried oregano.  Or 1 tablespoon of the fresh goods.

Add 1/2 of a bayleaf. However, I had some small dried bayleafs, so I threw in 3.  (That's my favorite single-digit number...well, it's actually 9, but that would have made Tomato Parmesan Bay Leaf Soup, which no one would eat. I refrained.  Wisely.)
 

Stir all of that yummymess, put the lid on, set the crockpot to LOW and let it do its business for 5-7 hours until the flavors are blended and veggies are soft.

Or if you need the soup faster, do like I did and switch to the stovetop.  I had the soup in the crockpot on HIGH for 1.5 hours, and my veggies weren't near soft.  Plus, I was cooking for our extended family.  I had a deadline, people.  To the stock pot it went.

About 30 minutes before serving, mix up a roux.  Here is my roux that I mixed together.  Get a smaller sauce pan.  Melt 1/2 cup of unsalted butter on low heat, and whisk 1/2 cup of flour slowly until mixed.  Let cook for a couple of minutes, even though the original recipe said to cook for 5-7 minutes.  If I would have done that, a small fire would have started.  Use your brain and do what's best for you. 
After you've made that life-altering decision of how long to cook your flour and butter, slowly add 1 cup of hot soup into your roux.  Stir, stir, stir.  Will be slightly thick.  Add another 3 cups of hot soup.  Stir, stir, stir.  
 

 

Pour all of the combined roux and 4 cups of soup back into the stock pot. 
Add 1 cup of parmesan cheese, 2 cups of warmed half n' half, salt and pepper to taste.  I used lactose free fat free milk, which made it perfectly tasty as well.  I'd imagine the half n' half would make it even more creamier.
 

Cover and cook soup on LOW (or simmer on stovetop) for another thirty minutes.  Plenty of time to get some grilled cheese together.

Combination of Perfection.

Enjoy!
 

Tomato Parmesan Basil Soup - Slow Cooker Recipe
Adapted from Karen Peterson
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
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 (or skim milk if you’re trying to cut some calories)
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper

1. Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.
3. About 30 minutes 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. Add additional basil and oregano if needed (the slow cooker does a number on spices and they get bland over time, so don’t be afraid to always season to taste at the end).
4. Cover and cook on LOW for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve.

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