Parmesan Tomato Basil Soup

This wonderfully easy, creamy Tomato Basil Soup with Parmesan is 1000X better than any canned/carton variety, is bursting with flavor and requires no roasting or chopping!  This Tomato Soup continues to be a family favorite and deserved a photo makeover because everyone deserves this deliciousness in their lives!

Prep Time 8 minutes  Cook Time 40 minutes  Servings INGREDIENTS 4 stalks celery chopped into thirds to fit processor 4 medium carrots, peeled chopped into thirds to fit processor 1/2 large onion, peeled and quartered 3 cloves garlic, peeled 3 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 cup flour 4 cups low sodium chicken broth 2 14 oz. cans fire roasted diced tomatoes with juice 1 tablespoon dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped** 1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 tablespoon fresh oregano 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 tsp EACH dried parsley, black pepper pinch red pepper flakes optional 1 bay leaf 2 cups half and half, heavy cream or milk (or a combination)*** 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese Garnish freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional) Instructions Add celery, carrots, onion and garlic to a food processor and pulse until finely minced (or mince by hand). Melt butter in oil in large Dutch oven/soup pot over medium heat. Turn heat to medium high, add minced vegetables and saute for 4 minutes. Sprinkle in flour and continue to cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually whisk in chicken broth followed by tomatoes and all seasonings. Add bay leaf. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until carrots are tender. Add Parmesan cheese and whisk to blend. Stir in milk/half and half/cream/milk and gently simmer an additional 15-20 minutes on low, stirring occasionally. Stir in additional chicken broth or cream to reach desired consistency. Remove bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste. You can serve the soup as is if you like the texture or proceed to puree with an immersion blender or working in batches, transfer soup to blender and puree until smooth, being careful to let smoke escape or it will explode. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional).