Recipe: Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup in the Slow Cooker

Today I thought I’d share with you one of my weight loss secrets – soup!  Now that the weather is finally cooling down, I love to make a big batch of soup and eat it all week.  It really fills me up at lunch and I can usually sneak in a few servings of vegetables that way.  Here’s one of my favorites – I can’t take credit for the recipe itself, but below is the pin where I found it!

Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup in the Slow Cooker
Makes about 8 1-cup servings

Ingredients:

• 2 14 oz cans diced tomatoes, with juice (I usually use the kind with garlic and onions)
• 1 cup finely diced celery
• 1 cup finely diced carrots
• 1 cup finely diced onions
• 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 ( I typically use shredded in the house, but I think grated would work better)
• ½ cup butter
• 2 cups half and half, warmed (or skim milk – which is what I use)
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large slow cooker.
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 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.  (It’s best to have all this ready to go when you start mixing – the soup thickens up FAST.)  Add all back into the slow cooker. Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper.  Taste to check the seasonings and add more oregano, basil, salt, and/or pepper as needed.
4. Cover and cook on low for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve.

It’s pretty delicious – and I used to dislike tomato soups!  If you’d like to see the original recipe, it’s here, along with a stovetop version.  Enjoy!