Tomato Basil Soup

Pinterest will be my demise. I spend way too much time looking at stuff on there- I even look at things that have no interest to me! Plus now that I exist in a sleep-deprived haze thanks to my baby I find Pinterest to be the perfect website- I can just look at pictures and not think. Without fail I pin several recipes a day that I feel I need to try. This soup was one of my most recent pins. I loved that it cooked mostly in the crockpot making it an easy weeknight meal. Yes, you do need to make a roux on the stovetop, but in total that took 5 minutes.

When all was said and done this soup was seriously to die for. Shockingly I forgot to add the parmesan cheese that the original called for (yes... I forgot cheese... I know...) and it was still so rich. So rich that I don't think you even need cheese (GASP!) and I wouldn't add it next time I made it. I'm leaving it out of the recipe below but if you want just add 1 cup of parmesan when you add the half and half! John and I both were obsessed with this and I'm thrilled that it made enough to freeze for another night.

Source: Adapted from 365 Days of Slow Cooking

Ingredients:
2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juices (fire roasted if you can find them)
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced onions
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup fresh basil, diced
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
2 cups half and half, warmed
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Directions:
1- Combine the tomatoes, carrots, celery, onions, oregano, basil, and broth in a crockpot. Cook on low for 7 hours.
2- In a saucepan melt the butter and stir in the flour to create a roux. Once the paste is formed add 1 cup of the hot veggie mix, stirring well until incorporated. Add an additional 3 cups, stirring well, until smooth. Pour the mixture back into the crockpot, stir well.
3- Add in the half and half, salt, and pepper. Cook on low an additional hour.