I LOVE soup! If I could eat tomato soup and grilled cheese every day, I probably would. There’s just something about a warm bowl of creamy goodness (and a toasted sandwich, of course) that makes me happy and completely satisfied! Maybe because the tomato soup and grilled cheese meal was my favorite kind of lunch during high school or maybe because it’s the meal I received from the hospital immediately after Ally was born. Either way, it’s a great meal and I eat it whenever I get the chance!

Besides the super easy homemade chili that I make, I’m always hopeful that I’ll expand my soup-making list. So when I found a recipe for tomato basil Parmesan soup on Pinterest, I knew I had to try it. There aren’t a ton of ingredients (well, not a ton that I needed to buy) and it’s fairly easy to make…and if you’re already a regular blog follower, you know I like easy when it comes to recipes! I made the soup a couple days ago and it is DELICIOUS, so I must share. 🙂

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

INGREDIENTS

2-14 oz. cans of diced tomatoes (I used Italian tomatoes since they already have the oregano and basil)
1 cup finely diced green peppers (the original recipe suggests celery, but I didn’t have any)
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried basil
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 bay leaf (I just used the dried bay leaves from my spice rack)
1/2 cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup butter
2 cups warmed milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Add tomatoes, peppers, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours until flavors are well-blended and vegetables are soft. About 45 minutes before serving, prepare a roux (thickening agent…had to look this one up!). Melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes (mixture will not be liquid-y, which is what I was expecting). Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup from slow cooker. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow cooker, stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper. Add additional basil and oregano if needed. Cook on low for another 30 minutes.

FINAL REVIEW: My hands were a little tired after dicing all the vegetables, but I think it was well worth it! The soup is fairly healthy (I used low-fat butter and 1% milk…you could even use low-fat cheese) and it’s full of what I would think to be at least a serving or two of your daily veggies. If you’re a veggie or a soup lover, I’m guessing you’ll enjoy this soup. Actually, I think it might be pretty pleasing to all taste buds. I think it’s quite delicious and I am very happy to share it with other soup lovers!

Recipe adapted from here.