Tomato-Basil Soup

I made this recipe a couple of days ago and thought it quite good.


Tomato-Basil Soup
4 cups Canned Crushed Tomatoes
2 cups Tomato Juice
2 cups Chicken Stock
1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
2 Bay Leaves
2 cloves Garlic, minced fine
1/3 cup Fresh Basil Leaves, chopped
1 cup Half and half
1/4 cup Unsalted butter, softened
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Garnish:
Sour Cream
4 tablespoons Fresh Basil, chopped
4 tablespoons Fresh Parsley, chopped


Over medium heat, combine tomatoes, juice, stock, thyme, bay leaves, and garlic in a large saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove bay leaves. In a food processor, combine tomato mixture and chopped basil in several small batches and process until smooth. Return blended mixture to saucepan over low hear. Stir in half-and-half and butter, season with salt and pepper. Continue stirring over low heat until soup is heated through. Ladle into bowls. Add a dollop of sour cream and 1 tablespoon basil-parsley garnish to each bowl and serve.