Sweet Tomato Basil Soup

I am not a big soup person. Neither is my husband. Or my kids, really. (So what am I doing posting a soup recipe...) But it's fall! And we have to make soup! And we're going to do our best to like it, dangit!
So, on some crazy autumn whim, I decided to try this tomato soup recipe out and holy crap. I loved it. It's rich, it has substance, it has a fantastic tomato taste without it being too tiring or overwhelming, if that makes sense. (After a few bites of Campbell's tomato soup, I'm always thinking, 'Yeah...kind of tired of the tomatoes...')
Anyway. I seriously recommend you try this. PLUS, it was easy enough to make that my daughter could help me. (In case you're wondering what the rest of my family thought, my husband and oldest daughter thought it was fine and my 10 month old loved it. In my opinion, that's a very good outcome for a family of non soup enthusiasts.)

Sweet Tomato Basil Soup

Original recipe from 365 Days of Slow Cooking.

1 medium onion, diced

3 Tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 Tbsp dried basil (or about 1/4 cup fresh)

1 tsp oregano

1 Tbsp caramelized tomato paste*

2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes

4 cups chicken broth (or 4 cups water + 4 tsp chicken buillon granules)

1 Tbsp honey

1 tsp salt

1 cup heavy cream, warmed

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley (I actually didn't add this because I didn't have it but I so wish I had!)

Salt and pepper to taste

Grated mozzarella or Parmesan cheese

*You really want to caramelize the tomato paste. The recipe promised a flavor boost and they weren't lyin'. Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet, add 1 (6 oz) can of tomato paste and cook until it reaches a deep crimson color.
(I realize now after typing this out that I did the wrong thing and added ALL of the caramelized tomato paste to the slow cooker instead of the 1 Tbsp it called for. But it was delicious...so if it was wrong, maybe I don't want to be right.)

If you don't want to follow my example, add 1 Tbsp of the caramelized tomato paste to the slow cooker and freeze the rest in 1 Tbsp increments.

1. Add diced onion, olive oil, flour, basil and oregano to a microwave-safe bowl. Stir until blended. Microwave for about 5 minutes. (Stir about every 90 seconds). Transfer to slow cooker.

2. Add in tomato paste*, crushed tomatoes, broth, honey and salt.

3. Stir and cover. Cook on low for 5-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

4. Remove lid and turn to HIGH. Stir in warmed cream and Italian parsley. Salt and pepper to taste. Let cook for another 10 minutes without the lid.

5. Ladle into bowls and top with cheese. Serve with warm bread or rolls (or grilled cheese, if you need the extra comfort food). 

The original recipe noted they served it with frozen ravioli for the kids which I definitely plan to try next time.