Tomato-Basil Parmesan Soup

I love soups! Especially this time of year. This recipe is so so good! It's a creamy soup, which I usually prefer over broth ones. I made it in my crock pot which is even more awesome. Both my husband and father in law loved it.

Ingredients: 2 (14oz.) cans diced tomatoes, with juice
                   1 cup finely diced celery
                   1 cup finely diced carrots
                   1 cup finely diced onion
                   1 tsp. dried oregano
                   1 T. dried basil
                   4 cups chicken broth
                   1 bay leaf
                    1/2 cup flour
                   1 cup parmesan cheese
                    1/2 cup butter
                   2 cups half and half, warmed
                   1 tsp. salt
                    1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions: Put the tomatoes, celery, carrots, chicken broth, onions, and bay leaf in your crockpot. Cook covered on low for about 5-6 hours. Next, you are gonna be a "fancy" chef and make a "roux." Don't be scared! It's super easy and it's purpose is to make the soup thicker and creamier.
   Get a big frying pan and melt the butter over low heat. Then, add the flour. Stir it CONSTANTLY for about 6 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of the soup mixture from your crockpot. Then, stir in 3 more cups worth. Keep on stirring until smooth. Yay! You just made a roux. Feel fancy. :)
  Then, just add it back into the crock pot and stir it in. Add the oregano, basil, parmesan, warmed half and half and salt and pepper. Cover and cook another hour.

*helpful tip: To chop up the veggies I use a handy chopper tool I have. It's awesome! It makes them finely chopped, which I find hard to do on my own with just a knife!

*Serves about 8-10 people.