Crock Pot Cheesy Tomato Soup

What defines comfort food for you?  This soup is one of my favorites.  It's easy to make, simple, and delicious.  The ingredients are cheap too, though you can spruce it up with the addition of expensive pine nuts.  If you don't have them, substitute another nut, or leave them out.  The secret to the creaminess and flavor is the cream cheese, melted and blended in as the final step. 

The soup freezes well, so I often take it to work with me.  Its a staple in my weeknight cold-weather dinners.  And it makes a perfect football game night dish, or party appetizer.  

This recipe is an easy clean up--just one dish, made easier if you remember to use a crock pot liner bag.  I fill my kitchen sink with soapy water before pureeing the soup, so that I can run my immersion blender in the sink for a few seconds after the soup.  Because I don't let the blender sit around, it comes clean easily too. 

Crock Pot Cheesy Tomato Soup

2 lg (23 oz) cans Hunts whole steamed tomatoes
1 box veggie stock (about 4 cups)
2 cubes frozen basil (about 1/2 tsp finely minced fresh basil)
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1 8 oz package cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese
1/4-1/2 c. pine nuts

Place all ingredients except cream cheese and nuts into crock pot on high for two hours, or low for four hours or more, with lid on.  About 15 mins before serving, cut cream cheese into large chunks and add to crock pot.  Use a fork to pierce any whole tomatoes floating at the top of the crock pot.  When the cream cheese has had a few minutes to soften, use an immersion or stick blender to puree the soup just before serving.  If you don't have an immersion blender, you can puree the soup in small batches in a regular blender.  Toast pine nuts in 325 degree oven for 3-4 minutes or use raw.  Mix pine nuts into the soup and add as garnish before serving.