Creamy Tomato Soup

The weather where I live is pretty hot all year-round so when we get even a touch of cool, dry air, we pull out the "winter" clothes, open all the windows and break out our favorite soup recipes. I mean, soup just doesn't taste the same when it's 90 degrees out. I made this soup on one of those rare cool days and we practically licked our bowls clean. In fact, I wish I had made more to freeze because we've had about 5 cool days in a row and it's been marvelous! Next time. This soup is just the right amount of tangy and creamy and not too acidic. You'll love it!

My notes: As I said before, I wish I had made more if this, so I would double the recipe and freeze the left-overs. The recipe will feed a family of 4, though. I had to puree the soup in a few batches because it was so hot, so I equally added the cream cheese with each batch, a little at a time, and it worked out well. I didn't have fresh basil, so I used a few teaspoons of dried basil and it was great. I would definitely serve this with a fancy grilled cheese panini! Or, use it as an appetizer to your meal! Either way, this is a winner.

Creamy Tomato Soup (from OurBestBites.com)

1 T real butter
1 C chopped onion
¾ C shredded carrot
1 T minced garlic
1 tea sugar
¼ tea pepper
¼ tea salt
4 Fresh Basil leaves plus some for garnish (or substitute 1-2 t dried basil, see note below)
1/2 C sliced sun-dried tomatos, packed in oil with herbs
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14oz) can chicken broth
3 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion, shredded carrot, and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring frequently.
2. Add sugar, pepper, and salt and cook 2 more minutes. Then add sun-dried tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and 4 basil leaves.If you're substituting dried basil, the rule of thumb is 1/3 part dried herb = 1 part fresh so for this recipe you can eyeball it, but I'm guessing you'd want to add about 1-2 t dried basil
3. Stir to combine and finally add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat, and simmer 30-40 minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Place soup in blender (do this in 2 batches if necessary). Add cream cheese. Remove center piece of blender lid to allow steam to escape, but place a paper towel over opening in blender lid to avoid splatters. Process for a couple of minutes until very smooth.
5. Divide soup among bowls and garnish each serving with a sprinkle of shredded Parmesan cheese and a basil leaf.