creamy tomato basil soup

super delicious tomato basil soup. i do almost everything like it says on tastesbetterfromscratch.com except that i roast fresh tomatoes first and i think it makes a big difference. since it takes quite a long time to make, i usually triple the recipe so that i can freeze some for later.

ingredients

 2lbs fresh tomatoes, coated in olive oil and herbs and roasted at 450 for 30 minutes

2 carrots, finely diced

1 small onion, finely diced

3 ribs celery, finely diced

2 T tomato paste

4 C chicken broth

1 t dried oregano

1 1/2 t dried basil

1/2 C butter

1/2 C flour

1 C freshly grated parmesan

1 1/2 C half and half

1 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1/4 C chopped fresh basil

directions

• Add oil to a large soup pot over medium high heat. Once hot, add carrots, onions, and celery and sauté them for a few minutes.
• Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken broth, oregano, and dried basil. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for several minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
• Use an immersion blender or regular blender (you may need to do this in batches, depending on how big your blender is) to puree the soup until smooth. (This step is optional, if you like a smooth soup). Return it to the soup pot.
• In a separate pot, prepare the roux. Add butter to the pot over medium low heat and allow to melt. Stir in the flour and whisk together constantly for about 10 minutes or until the roux is a nice golden brown color.
• Add a big ladle full of the soup to the roux--it will start to form a thick paste.  Add a few more big scoops of soup to the roux and stir well until smooth. Add the roux mixture to soup pot and stir to combine.
• Stir in the parmesan cheese, half and half, salt, pepper and basil. Add additional oregano and basil if needed, to taste. Stir well. Cook for a few more minutes until warmed through.