Creamy Cheesy Tomato Soup

1 cup finely diced carrots 1 cup finely diced celery 1 cup finely diced onions ¼ cup vegetable or canola oiL 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp dried oregano 1 Tbsp dried basil 1 ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper 2 - 14 ounce cans diced petite or crushed tomatoes 4 cups chicken broth 1 bay leaf ½ cup flour 1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated ½ cup butter 2 cups half and half, warmed* 1 teaspoon kosher salt Freshly ground pepper

Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large pot. When the oil is hot, add in the onions, carrots and celery and sauté. Stir frequently for about 5 minutes. When the vegetables soften a bit and the onions become translucent, add in the garlic and oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Sauté for two more minutes. Add the diced tomatoes, chicken broth and bay leaf to the pot. Cover and let simmer on low heat for 1-2 hours. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup. Next make a roux. Start by melting a stick of butter over very low heat in a fairly large skillet. Don't rush the process. Just do it over low heat. Once the butter is all melted you will slowly whisk in your flour. I just add about a tablespoon at a time. After the flour is added in, continue to whisk the mixture for 5 minutes. Once the 5 minutes is up you'll dip a measuring cup into your slow cooker and pour three cups of the soup into the roux. Stir it with a whisk immediately and it will start to thicken. After it is thick, stir it into the pot with the rest of the soup. Stir until all the soup has thickened. Stir in parmesan cheese and warmed half and half (if it's warmed it will prevent it from curdling). Add in salt and pepper to taste. Add in about ¼ teaspoon of salt at a time. The amount of salt you'll use will depend on if you use low sodium broth or tomatoes and other factors. Cover and let simmer on the low setting for about 10 more minutes. Ladle into serving bowls and sprinkle with more grated or shaved parmesan, if desired.