Slow Cooker Creamy Tomato, Basil, Parmesan Soup

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes, with the juice

1 cup finely diced carrots

1 cup finely diced onions

1 cup finely diced celery

2 Tbsp tomato paste

4 cups chicken broth

1 tsp dried oregano or Tbsp fresh oregano

¼ cup fresh basil or 1 Tbsp dry basil

½ cup butter

½ cup flour

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1½ cups half and half or whole milk

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

Directions:

1. Add diced tomatoes, carrots, onions, celery, tomato paste, chicken broth, oregano, and basil to your slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.
2. About 30 minutes before the soup is ready, prepare a roux. Melt the butter over medium low heat in a skillet and add the flour. Whisk together constantly for about 10 minutes or until the roux is a nice golden brown color. Slowly add 1 cup of the soup from the slow cooker to the roux–it will start to form a thick paste.  Slowly add another 3 cups of warm soup to the roux. Whisk together until smooth. Add the roux mixture to the slow cooker and stir to combine.
3. Pour soup into blender (you may need to do this in batches, depending on how big your blender is)
4. Purée until smooth. Return to the slow cooker.
5. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, half and half (or milk), and salt and pepper. Add additional oregano and basil if needed, to taste. Stir well. Cover and cook on low for another 20-30 minutes or until warm.