Tomato Parmesan Soup

Made this last night for dinner and it is quite possible that Kevin and I both licked our bowls clean. It was delicious! I got the recipe off of pinterest, but I changed it a little bit so I will put the original recipe and my changes on as well. Hope you enjoy! (It kind of reminded me slightly of Grandma Dials Hamburger Carrot soup.

INGREDIENTS

2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup finely diced Celery (I didn't have celery so I didn't add it)
1 cup zucchini 1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions (Try em' I dare you Annalee ha ha)
1 tsp dried oregano or 1 T fresh oregano
1 T dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil
4 cups chicken broth
½ bay leaf
½ cup flour
1 cup Parmesan cheese
½ cup butter
2 cups half and half, warmed (I would go with only a cup and a half though)
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 Tbs brown sugar (Kevin had to add it, and it is always good with anything tomato) 

DIRECTIONS

1. Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker. (If you want a thinner soup, without chunks I could suggest grating the carrots or someone on pinterest said they blended all the vegetables up. We like the chunks so I just kept the carrots as slices and zucchini as slices as well. Also you can add whatever vegetables you want) 

2. Cover and cook on LOW for 5-7 hours, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.

3. About 30 minutes before serving prepare a roux. Melt butter over low heat (I only used 1/4 cup of butter so it was somewhat healthier) in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1 cup hot soup. 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 (I used half and half because I had already bought it but i bet you could use Greek yogurt for a healthier version), salt and pepper. Add additional basil and oregano if needed (the slow cooker does a number on spices and they get bland over time, so don't be afraid to always season to taste at the end). 

4. Cover and cook on LOW for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve.

Serve with bread or rolls :) 

Enjoy!