Even if You Don't Like Tomatoes!

So if you read my other blog you know that I have been out of town for the weekend so I wasn't really cooking much to add recipes but since we have just gotten back in Madrid I wanted to make something that didn't take too long and wasn't too hard.  Well I wasn't really sure if this was the right recipe but it was a new one and I really wanted to try it.  So tonight we had a Tomato Basil Parmesan soup.  So I don't really like tomatoes and neither does my roommate (aka we can't just eat a plain tomato or a mater sandwich like my entire family from the south but we can each small diced tomatoes in sauce or salsa or ketchup) so I was kinda scared of this recipe.  It turned out amazing and was delicious.  You can make it in the crockpot which would make it even easier because you could just leave it but since we don't have one I just made it in a pot on the stove. 


Ingredients

1 cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/2 cup finely diced carrots
1/2 cup finely diced onions
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 T dried basil
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 bay leaf
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter
1 cups half and half, warmed
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Directions

Add tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, oregano, basil, and bay leaf to a large pot.  They don't have the best diced tomatoes here in a can so I just diced 1 cup of fresh tomatoes and added a little salt since canned tomatoes have this.  I didn't add celery or carrots because I didn't have them and it was still delicious. 
Cover and cook over Low/Medium heat for 1 hour, until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.
About 30 minutes after the soup has been cooking melt butter over low heat in a skillet and add flour. Stir constantly with a whisk for 5-7 minutes. Slowly stir in 1/2 cup hot soup from the pot. Add another 1 1/2 cups and stir until smooth. Add all back into the pot.  Stir and add the Parmesan cheese, warmed half and half, salt and pepper.  (Again we don't have half and half so it was 1 cup of milk mixed with 1 tbsp of melted butter)
Cover and cook over Medium heat for another 30 minutes or so until ready to serve.

This is the perfect amount for 2 people so double if needed.  Serve with a fresh baguette and enjoy!