* 1 tbsp butter
* 1 medium onion
* 1 cup chopped carrots
* 1 celery stalk
* 3 cloves garlic
* 30 oz fresh plum (roma) tomatoes, peeled
* 32 oz fat free chicken broth (I use Trader Joe's low sodium)
* 3 sprigs parsley
* 10 basil leaves
* 2 bay leaves
* 2 tbsp reduced fat sour cream
* salt and pepper, to taste (definitely needs a fair amount of salt)
* Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)
Directions
Chop onions, carrots, celery and garlic using a mini food processor or chopper. Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add butter until melted, then add chopped onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook stirring often until soft, about 8-10 minutes. Add chicken broth and tomatoes, stirring well.
Using a string or a rubber band, tie herbs together and drop into the soup. This will make it easy to remove later. Add salt and fresh pepper, reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 30 minutes.
Remove herbs and discard, add sour cream and blend with a hand blender until smooth. (A regular blender would work, but be sure to let the soup cool before blending and fill only halfway in the blender so it doesn't explode on you). Ladle into bowls and top with freshly grated cheese and fresh basil. Enjoy!
