Italian Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup, Slow Cooker Style

Serves 10 -12

Returning from the farmer’s market with a bushel of the last of this year’s tomatoes, I put my beloved slow cooker to work to make this healthy and “skinny” soup!  The combination of vine ripened tomatoes and roasted red peppers are the perfect complement to my grilled Gouda cheese sandwich (perhaps this sandwich isn't so "skinny")! This soup is the essence of the end of summer and the beginning of Autumn and is indeed beautiful as well as tasty! 

INGREDIENTS:

8 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped

2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained

Handful of chopped baby carrots (optional)

1 24-ounce jar roasted red peppers, undrained

1 can low sodium chicken broth

1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)

½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

 1 teaspoon sugar (I used 1 packet of Splenda)

1 5-ounce can evaporated milk

Shaved Parmesan cheese for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Place all ingredients except for evaporated milk into slow cooker.  Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.  Add evaporated milk during the last half hour or so of cooking.

Use an immersion blender to puree to desired consistency; I like to leave a few veggie chunks in my soup for texture and body. 

Serve in bowls and top with shaved Parmesan cheese.