Slow Cooker Fresh Tomato Basil Soup

Oh how I love tomato soup...well I just love tomatoes!    I’ve been buying bushels of fresh summer tomatoes from our farmer’s market and have been having such fun trying new recipes that use these tasty morsels.  I tasted as I made this & added more spices as needed,   so feel free to adjust it to your liking… that’s the beauty of this recipe.  Make it your own; if you want it spicy, add some spicy peppers.  If you want to add more veggies, add some carrots or roasted red peppers.  If you want it chunky, don’t puree it too much.  

 Serves 10-12

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons good extra virgin olive oil

2 medium sweet onions, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 Tablespoon Kosher or sea salt (tomatoes love salt so you may need to add more)

1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper or to taste (I like more!)

2 teaspoons sugar (I used Splenda)

8 pounds tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped (10-12 large tomatoes)

  (if you don’t have fresh tomatoes, you can use 4 28-ounce cans of crushed tomatoes)

1 quart chicken broth

1 small can evaporated milk

2 Tablespoons Wondra (or flour) to mix with ¼ cup water for thickening

10 basil leaves (plus more for garnish) or liberal amount of dried basil

Freshly grated Parmesan for garnish, optional

Sour cream for garnish, optional

Directions:

Peel the tomatoes and using a fine mesh colander (or strainer) that is placed over a bowl, squeeze out the juice & seeds.  Coarsely chop the tomatoes and reserve the juice… and discard the seeds.

Combine all ingredients except the evaporated milk, Wondra (or flour) & water in a slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours until flavors are blended and vegetables are soft.  Add evaporated milk, stirring until well blended.  Whisk together the 2 Tablespoons of Wondra (or all purpose flour) with ¼ cup water and stir into the soup; this will thicken it a bit.  Continue to cook for about 30 minutes more.  Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth or puree in batches in a blender.  Serve immediately or keep warm in the slow cooker until your guests arrive!

Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.