Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

Once upon a time, my dear friend Ashley messaged me and asked if I had anything planned for dinner and if she could bring over some extra soup that she was making for her family. I immediately burst into tears because there was no way that she could have known I was having an extremely hard day and the thought of making dinner was overwhelming to me. She brought my family the yummiest tomato soup and I was grateful for the delicious, comforting food. When I make this I think of her. I also love how easy this is because you really can just throw it in the crockpot and let it simmer (no keeping a close watch on the stove right before dinner - which always seems to be one of the busiest times of the day.)

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup
Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:
2 (14-oz) cans petite diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
4 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/4 c. (4 tablespoons) butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups half-and-half, warm
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
In a crock pot, combine the tomatoes, celery, carrots, onions, oregano, basil, broth, and bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours until the vegetables are tender. About 45 minutes before serving, melt the butter over low heat in a medium saucepan. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is golden, about 3 minutes. The mixture will be crumbly, but that's ok.

Whisking constantly, slowly ladle in 1 cup (or a ladleful) of the hot soup from the slow cooker. Whisk until smooth and bubbly. Add another cup or ladleful and stir again until smooth. Add another cup or two and stir until smooth. Stir the creamy, hot mixture back into the slow cooker. Add the Parmesan cheese, half-and-half, salt and pepper, adding more salt and pepper if needed.

Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes until ready to serve. Serve with homemade croutons, or top with extra parmesan cheese.