• 1 cup celery, finely minced if you saute and diced if you steam (make sure the pieces are the same size
• 1 cup onions, finely minced sauteed and diced if you steam (pieces should be same size)
• 1 cup carrots, finely minced sauteed and diced if you steam (pieces should be same size)
• minced garlic could be an option (just add 1 minute before the other veggies are cooked)
• 4 tbsp. fresh basil, minced or 1 tbsp. dried
• 1 tbsp. fresh oregano, minced or 1 tsp dried
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 (28 oz.) cans whole tomatoes with juice blended in a food processor (I also like to remove the seeds through a strainer)
• 4-6 cups low sodium chicken broth (depending on how thick you would like it)
• 1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 cups half and half, warmed (or you can use milk)
• 1/4 tsp. white pepper
• 1 tsp. kosher salt

You can either steam or saute the vegetables for a smoother, creamier texture.

Steam the onions, celery and carrots separately to ensure a smooth texture; until they are soft enough to squish with your fingers. Combine all three vegetables and  blend to achieve the texture you want.  Add a little cream/milk to help make them creamier. Or you can…

Saute the celery, onions and carrots in a large saucepan for about 20-30 minutes or until very tender. There will still be a little texture in the soup, but still very tasty.

Whether you steam or saute the veggies you need to next add the basil, oregano, bay leaf, tomatoes (processed and  seeds removed) and chicken broth.

Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer about 30 minutes. I like the veggies cooked very well so they blend in with the rest of the soup. Remove the bay leaf before proceeding with the next step.

Heat the half and half (or milk) and prepare a roux. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and whisk on low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. The roux should be 50/50 butter (fat) and flour.

Ladle 1 cup of the soup into the roux and mix well. Continue adding 4 more cups of soup into the roux. Add this mixture back into the other saucepan whisking until combined. Use a hand blender if needed to further blend.

Add the Parmesan while whisking well. Add the warmed half and half and season with the salt and pepper to taste. Simmer the soup for 20 minutes.

Serve with homemade croutons.

Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com