Slow Cooker Parmesan-Tomato Basil Soup

I’m so excited to announce the winner of my McCormick giveaway from last week. Thank you to all of you who entered, and especially to the winner Rondah!

Congratulations, Rondah! Email me at nothankstocake@gmail.com with your address and I’ll ship your prize pack this week!

Rondah’s got some great cooking ahead of her with those delicious McCormick spices, and I thought it was a great day to introduce another new recipe I tried this week.

When the weather gets cold, I tend to crave COMFORT FOOD.

Something warm and often slow cooked hits the spot. I love a bowl of hot beef stew, and homemade applesauce is quite the treat as well.

After a chilly, rainy day running errands, the idea of coming home to a slow cooker full of warm bubbly soup was a perfect treat.

This delicious tomato soup is one that you’re going to LOVE. I lightened up the original recipe by using fat free half and half instead of the full fat version, and by changing the roux from being butter-based to using only a small amount of olive oil in its place. I REALLY enjoyed this recipe, and think you will too!

Slow Cooker Parmesan-Tomato Basil Soup

From the Girl Who Ate Everything

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

2 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes, with juice

1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrots
1 cup finely diced onions
1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano
1/4 cup fresh basil
4 cups chicken broth
½ bay leaf
½ cup flour
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup chicken broth + 2 Tbsp.

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups fat free half and half, warmed (substitute skim milk for less calories)
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Chop your vegetables to place in your soup.

Preparing to chop

Beautifully chopped in seconds!

The celery turned out gorgeous…

And, let’s not forget the onion…

2. Place tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker. Spray your slow cooker with cooking spray to make it easier to clean.

The veggies go in first…

Adding the basil

Finally, the broth goes in.

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

Six hours later, your soup will look like this.

4. Use an immersion blender to puree the veggies. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a standard blender. Another option if you prefer a chunkier texture is to leave it as is or even blend just some of it. Return blended veggies back to the slow cooker.

Pureeing the veggies only takes a few moments with a hand blender

3. About 30 minutes before serving prepare the roux. Place the olive oil and chicken broth in a skillet over low heat and add the flour. Stir roux constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. Add more broth, as needed to create the roux.

The original recipe called for a butter roux, but I improvised with the olive oil and broth to lighten it up.

I’m horrible at creating a roux….

4. Slowly whisk in 1 cup hot soup. Add another 3 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into the slow cooker.

Adding the soup to the roux helped a little, but I am going to try a different technique next time I make it

5. Stir the roux/soup mixture back into the crockpot and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper.

CHEESE…

It started to melt almost immediately…

Use a whisk to add the half and half…

6. Cover and cook on LOW for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve. Serve with a garnish of parmesan cheese and/or a Tablespoon of cooked orzo.