Cream of Tomato Soup I

Description
Ok, recipe for some really awesome tomato soup. It is *not* low in fat although it probably could be altered to be lower in fat than it actually is. The original recipe came from The New Basics cookbook and has been shamelessly altered since.

Ingredients

 * ½ stick unsalted butter (or possibly margarine if you prefer, or 4 tbsp olive oil could probably work well)
 * 2 medium onions, sliced thinly
 * 3 large carrots, chopped moderately small
 * 6 cloves garlic, minced
 * 3 cans whole tomatoes in juice (no salt if you so prefer)
 * 4 cups water and enough instant chicken stock to make 4 cups stock 8 leaves
 * fresh basil, chopped fine
 * 1 tsp dried basil, crumbled
 * ½ tsp allspice
 * ½ tsp nutmeg
 * 1 cinnamon stick
 * salt and pepper to taste
 * 2 cups heavy cream (haven't tried soy milk yet, though)
 * 4 leaves fresh basil, chopped fine

Directions

 * 1) Melt the butter in a large pot, saute the onions, carrots, and garlic until the onions just start to carmelize (i usually add the garlic somewhat later so it doesn't burn).
 * 2) Add the tomatoes, stock, and spices except the fresh basil and cook for 5 minutes.
 * 3) Add the basil and cook for 50 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
 * 4) In batches, puree soup in a blender and return to the pot, or you can use an immersion blender which will also work but the veggie pieces won't be quite as small.
 * 5) Add the cream and heat through.
 * 6) Adjust seasonings, serve with some of the additional basil sprinkled on top.
 * 7) Very good with fresh bread or grilled cheese sandwiches.