serves four 
Standing in a stifling-hot kitchen covered in tomato splatters in mid-August makes it easy to forget why I ever thought canning was fun. Thankfully, pulling a jar of bright red, homegrown tomatoes from the pantry on a cold prairie evening to create this creamy, comforting soup makes it all worth it. If you don’t have home-canned tomatoes, you can substitute two 14.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes instead. This soup also makes the perfect quick hot lunch on a chilly day.
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter
½ cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar, preferably organic whole cane sugar
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chicken stock (here)
4 cups crushed or diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup heavy cream
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes more.
Sprinkle the onion with the flour, sugar, basil, salt, and pepper and stir until the flour just starts to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the stock, then add the tomatoes with their liquid.
Using an immersion blender, puree the soup to create a creamy consistency. (If you do not have an immersion blender, simply puree the tomatoes in a regular blender or food processor before adding them.)
Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the soup thickens slightly. Add the cream and stir. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a sprinkling of cheese and a thick slice of crusty bread or garlic toast made from French bread (see here).