Tomato-Basil Parmesan Soup

Sometimes I just don't want to have stuff in the crock pot all day, sometimes I’m extra lazy, and sometimes I like to procrastinate.  I found this recipe at 365 Days of Slow Cooking and intended, for several days, to prepare it as it was written.  Then I didn’t.  My kids aren’t picky eaters but, to me, the less questions about dinner’s ingredients the better.  So I pureed all the veggies first, then after everything was in the pot, I also used my immersion blender and whipped it up till it was almost entirely smooth.

I served this with a nutty fruit bread and it was really, very good and a great go-to recipe for busy weeknight!  The next day we had the leftovers and I just pulled out a few croissants and since those are French, I felt extra fancy so we called it a good Thursday night dinner.

Ingredients

• 2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
• 2 handfuls baby carrots
• 1 small onion
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 T fresh oregano
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Puree all vegetables.
2. Add all ingredients except cheese to stock pot. 
3. Bring to a light boil over medium-high heat, stirring often to avoid burning the cream.  Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often for 30 minutes.
4. Top with cheese before serving.