Love Story Soup–thick and creamy tomato soup with orzo made in the slow cooker.
Love Story Soup
You’ll fall in love after first bite. This soup is the bomb if you’re a lover of tomato soup. And I am! This is a creamy decadent tomato soup with vegetables and orzo pasta. There is lots of flavor from the seasonings, broth and bay leaf. You can blend* if you like it creamy or leave it as more of a chunky soup. Either way it’s good. Skyler made himself a grilled cheese and dunked it in the soup.
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Butter
- Carrots
- Onion
- Celery
- Dried oregano
- Dried basil
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Flour
- Chicken broth–or water and Better than Bouillon chicken base or vegetable broth
- Crushed tomatoes
- Bay leaf
- Orzo–you can leave this out
- Evaporated milk–or half and half
- Parmesan cheese–for sprinkling on top
Steps
Heat a pan over medium high heat and add in the butter. Let it melt. Add in the carrots, onion, celery, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Saute for 3 minutes.
Whisk in the flour, one tablespoon at a time, until creamy and smooth (no lumps). Pour in 1 cup of the broth and whisk until smooth.
Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker (I did this whole part inside my slow cooker because it has a stovetop setting).
Stir in the remaining broth, crushed tomatoes and bay leaf.
Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. Discard the bay leaf.
Optional step: use an immersion blender to blend until smooth.
Stir in the orzo. Replace the lid and cook for 30 minutes or until orzo is cooked through. Temper the evaporated milk by stirring a cup of the hot soup into the milk. Then stir the mixture into the slow cooker. Ladle into bowls and top with a tablespoon of parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Notes/Tips
- Serve with a grilled cheese sandwich, a hunk of crusty bread or some cheesy breadsticks.
- I used a 6 quart ninja slow cooker. It has a stovetop feature which is nice for recipes like this one that require a stovetop step. I don’t think they sell my particular model anymore but here is a similar model.*
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Other recipes you can make with bay leaf are tuscan tortellini soup and Instant Pot Mexican Black Beans and Rice. I buy my bay leaves in the bulk section at winco for super cheap!
- I blended my soup for a creamier version but this soup is also good left chunky!
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.
Love Story Soup
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Thick and creamy tomato soup with orzo made in the slow cooker.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 rib of celery, diced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp dried basil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 cup flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup orzo
- 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
- Parmesan cheese, for topping
Instructions
- Heat a pan over medium high heat and add in the butter. Let it melt. Add in the carrots, onion, celery, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Saute for 3 minutes.
- Whisk in the flour, one tablespoon at a time, until creamy and smooth (no lumps). Pour in 1 cup of the broth and whisk until smooth.
- Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker (I did this whole part inside my slow cooker because it has a stovetop setting).
- Stir in the remaining broth, crushed tomatoes and bay leaf.
- Cover and cook on low for 3 hours. Discard the bay leaf.
- Optional step: use an immersion blender to blend until smooth.
- Stir in the orzo. Replace the lid and cook for 30 minutes or until orzo is cooked through.
- Temper the evaporated milk by stirring a cup of the hot soup into the milk. Then stir the mixture into the slow cooker.
- Ladle into bowls and top with a tablespoon of parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
- Category: Soup
- Method: Slow Cooker
More tomato soups…
Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini, Spinach and Chicken Soup
A creamy tomato soup with cheesy tortellini and chicken and then a pop of color from the bright green spinach.
Instant Pot Oprah’s Tomato Soup
Healthy and flavorful tomato soup recipe (can be vegetarian and dairy free). It tastes amazing with grilled cheese sandwiches!
Recipe for Slow Cooker Sweet Tomato Basil Soup (Sweet Tomatoes Copy Cat)
(This is an updated post with new photos from November 2012) The other day I went to Sweet Tomatoes and was loving their Sweet Tomato Basil Soup. I decided I needed to make something similar at home. And I made something even better. If you love tomato soup, you will love this soup (AND bonus it’s very
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
This looks and sounds great however I don’t have a slow cooker. Do you have a version for the Instant Pot?
I don’t have an instant pot version but you could easily make this on the stovetop:
Sauté the Vegetables
In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat.
Add the carrots, onion, and celery along with the oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the vegetables soften.
Make the Roux
Whisk in the flour, one tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly to create a smooth, lump-free mixture. Cook for 1–2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
Add the Liquids
Slowly pour in 1 cup of chicken broth, whisking constantly until smooth.
Gradually stir in the remaining 3 cups of broth, crushed tomatoes, and bay leaf. Bring the soup to a simmer over medium-low heat.
Simmer the Soup
Cover and let it simmer gently for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove and discard the bay leaf.
Blend (Optional)
If you prefer a smoother texture, use an immersion blender to puree the soup.
Cook the Orzo
Stir in the orzo and let it cook for about 10–12 minutes, or until the pasta is tender. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Add the Evaporated Milk
In a small bowl, temper the evaporated milk by mixing in a cup of the hot soup.
Stir the tempered milk mixture back into the soup and heat through (do not boil).
Serve
Ladle into bowls, top with Parmesan cheese, and enjoy!
Thank you!
Too late. I don’t need a bite. Just fell in love with the picture! Will be back with stars.