Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

It’s cold; I’m used to it though.  I’ve lived in Wisconsin my whole life and come the end of November, we kind of just expect it to snow.  Although, last year was a bit off and we almost missed out on a true white Christmas!  In my book, cold weather is soup weather and this soup definitely kept me warm last night.  I took this recipe, tweaked it a little, and it turned out great!  It was rich in flavor and had just the right amount of creaminess.

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup

homemade broth

• 2 14-15 oz cans diced tomatoes, with juice
• 1 cup carrots, diced
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 1 cup onions, diced
• 3 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 3 Tbsp fresh basil
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2-1 tsp black pepper
• ½ bay leaf
• ½ cup flour
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• ½ cup butter (I ran out so I used 3 tbsp. butter and 5 tbsp. vegetable oil)
• 1 1/2 cup milk, warmed

1. Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, onions, broth, oregano, basil, garlic salt, pepper, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, until vegetables are tender.  I let mine cook for about 6 1/2 hours.
3. About 30 minutes prior to serving prepare a roux.  This is done by melting butter over low heat in a skillet and adding flour, stirring constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes.

   before cooking

4. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth.
5. Add it all back into the slow cooker.  At this point, you could also puree the soup in batches if you want a smooth consistency; I prefer mine chunky.
6. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and warmed milk. Add additional seasonings if necessary.
7. Cover and cook on LOW for another 15-30 minutes or so until ready to serve.

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