Crock-pot Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

I love tomato soup, especially homemade soup! It's warm, hearty, filling, and it's a feel-good for your soul. Or at least it is for me. This recipe is simple to make with the use of the crock-pot and uses minimal ingredients. Start this in the afternoon and you will have dinner ready about 5 or 6 hours later. The base of the ingredients are three standard veggies including carrots, celery, and onions, and vegetable stock.  This soup would pair great with a grilled cheese sandwich, crackers, or gold fish! It's also versatile because you can choose your choice of milk, depending on allergens or health reasons.

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

• 2 pounds of roma tomatoes (6-7 tomatoes), roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup of packed fresh basil leaves 
• 1 cup of diced carrots
• 1 cup of diced celery
• 1 small diced onion
• 2 cups of vegetable stock, low-sodium if possible
• 1 cup of whole milk* (or milk of choice)
• 1/2 tsp of oregano
• 1/2 tsp of thyme 
• 1/2 tsp of salt

*Do not use nonfat or 1% dairy milk because the acid in the tomatoes will cause the milk to curdle. If using dairy milk, it is best to use a fattier milk (whole milk or half & half). 

1. In a saute pan, saute your carrots, celery, and onions in a little bit of olive oil until the onions become translucent and the carrots and celery soften, about 6-7 minutes.
2. In the meantime, place the tomatoes, vegetable stock, basil, and spices into a crock-pot. After the veggies have cooked, place them in the crock-pot with the rest of the ingredients.  Give it a quick stir to incorporate on the ingredients. 
3. Set your crock-pot on low and cook for 5 hours. 
4. After the 5 hours, blend the soup with a hand blender or a regular blender until it is smooth. If using a regular blender, blend it in batches. Place the soup back in the crock-pot and stir in the milk. Place your crock-pot on warm to reheat the soup (the milk will cool it down) until you are ready to eat it. 

Recipe found and adapted from Pumps & Iron.