Step 1

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Step 2

Place tomatoes and garlic cloves on a baking tray, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, season with salt, pepper, and dried Italian herbs, roast for about 25 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft and charred on the tops.

Step 3

Remove tray from oven and transfer the tomatoes and garlic to the slow cooker with all the juices from roasting.

Step 4

Add the diced onion, red bell pepper, season with dried basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.

Step 5

Add the tomato paste and broth, stir to combine.

Step 6

Cover and cook on High for 3 hours or on Low for 6 hours.

Step 7

When there are 30 minutes of cooking remaining, stir in the heavy cream, cover and cook for 30 minutes.

Step 8

Using an immersion blender or a Vitamix, puree the mixture until it’s very smooth. I transferred the soup in two batches into the blender to puree it, but if you use an immersion blender you can puree the soup directly in the crockpot.

Step 9

Serve garnished with grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves.

Step 10

Store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or freeze for later.