Crock Pot Tomato Soup

Last fall I had started a trend in our house of making some sort of crock pot soup or chili on Sundays so we would have it to enjoy for dinner throughout the week. Work has gotten a bit busier, and most nights if we plan to eat dinner before 9 PM it has become a necessity to have something available to heat up or prepare quickly. If that is not possible it is far too easy to fall into a habit of visiting one of the many delicious Italian restaurants in our area. I am truly a pizza addict!

This recipe is one I found on Skinnytaste and have slightly modified due to availability of ingredients. If I have not mentioned it before, the Skinnytaste website has been a lifesaver for me as it not only has healthier takes on delicious foods, but most of the recipes do not include a special sauce, spice blend, etc. that I have no chance to find here. My love of Mexican foods has not brought me to say “Enough! I am going back to the US!” simply because of this site!

Tomato soup is such a comfort food, and comfort food is a bit of a necessity right now. At the end of the day, with each bite of this soup I start to feel my stress melt away. Cheesy, I know. But just a little, like the hint of Parmesan flavor in this soup.

So what you need to start this delectable soup :

Celery, Carrot, Onion, Broth or Bouillon, Canned Tomatoes, Bay Leaves, Thyme and Fresh Oregano

To start, dice up the celery, carrots and onion. Sauté them in the olive oil until the onions & celery are translucent. The aroma of this mixture sautéing is one of my favorite smells!

Meanwhile, add the canned tomatoes, broth, oregano, thyme, bay leaf and cheese rind to the crock pot. I had sprayed mine with olive oil first, which in hind sight is probably unnecessary. When the vegetable mixture is sautéed to perfection, add it to the crock pot.

Set this up to cook for 6 hours on low, and prepare to have your stomach growl due to the delicious aroma that starts to permeate the house.

After 6 hours, remove the cheese rind and bay leaves. Then puree the mixture with a immersion blender in the crock pot.

Heat a skillet with medium heat on the stove, and melt the butter. Once melted, add the flour and whisk to make a rue. Once combined, add one ladle (around a cup) of the soup to the rue and whisk to combine. Slowly add the milk while continuing to whisk.

When combined, add the heated mixture and extra parmesan cheese to the crock pot and stir to combine. Cook for 30 minutes more on low.

Now, your masterpiece is ready!

We typically serve this with breadsticks, with grilled cheese sandwiches, or with salads. Changing what we serve on the side makes it feel a bit less like we are eating the same thing over and over, which is not something I enjoy.

Delish!

Crock Pot Tomato Soup (source : Skinnytaste)
Servings: 8 (Approximately 2 Cups Each)

Ingredients (first set) :
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
3/4 cup Diced Celery
3/4 cup Diced Carrots
3/4 cup Diced Onions
28 oz can Whole Tomatoes, with juice (or in Germany, tomato sauce)
14 oz can Whole Cherry Tomatoes, with juice)
5 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth (in Germany I have to use bouillon. I used 5 tsp of bouillon in 5 cups of boiling water)
1/4 cup Fresh Oregano (or Basil, which was sadly not available this week)
1 Tsp Dried Thyme (mine was dried from our garden and SO fragrant!)
2 Bay Leaves
1 Parmesan Cheese Rind

Ingredients (second set) :
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Flour
1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 3/4 cups Reduced Fat Milk, Warmed

Instructions :

Dice the celery, carrots and onion. Sauté them in the olive oil until the onions & celery are translucent. Meanwhile, add the canned tomatoes, broth, oregano, thyme, bay leaf and cheese rind to the crock pot. When done sautéing the vegetable mixture add it to the crock pot. Set to cook for 6 hours on low.

After 6 hours, remove the cheese rind and bay leaves. Puree the mixture with a immersion blender in the crock pot. Heat a skillet with medium heat on the stove, and melt the butter. Once melted, add the flour and whisk to make a rue. Once combined, add one ladle (around a half cup) of the soup to the rue and whisk to combine. Slowly add the milk while continuing to whisk.

When combined, add the heated mixture and extra parmesan cheese to the crock pot and stir to combine. Cook for 30 minutes more on low. Serve and enjoy!

Source :