World's Best Tomato Soup

My husband and I have been on the hunt for the world's best tomato soup for quite some time. At last, we finally found it thanks to Serious Eats. This recipe makes a huge batch, which is great for freezing and keeping on hand for those cold winter days. The secret ingredient behind this recipe is the generous use of carrots, which bring a sort of untraceable sweetness to combat the acidity of the tomatoes. And the secret weapon? An emersion blender. Try it out for yourself and tell me if you, too, think it's the world's best tomato soup!

Ingredients:

• 6 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 Tbsp. dried basil, crushed
• 3 - 28 oz. cans whole peeled Roma tomatoes
• 1 quart low sodium chicken broth
• 1 pint heavy cream
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add carrots and onion and cook until beginning to soften, approximately 10 minutes.
2. Add basil and cook until vegetables are completely soft, approximately 5 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes and broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for at least 45 minutes. The longer you can allow this to simmer, the better.
4. Using an emersion blender, blend the mixture in the stockpot until smooth.
5. Stir in cream little by little, until desired texture is reached and the soup is just heated through. Season with salt and pepper.