Smoky Slow Cooker Tomato Soup

I was in the mood for tomato soup with grilled cheese for dinner on a recent dreary, rainy day.  I was surprised that it turned out to be pretty good.  Next time I would add maybe half a cup less of water/broth so that it would be thicker. If I were feeling ambitious, I might add a cornstarch slurry or similar to thicken it.

Smoky Slow Cooker Tomato Soup Ingredients:
1 t butter
1 heaping T minced garlic
3/4 c diced onion
28 oz can diced tomatoes
14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups water or broth
1 1/2 cups 1% milk
1/2 cup pureed carrots
3 bay leaves
1 t sea salt
1 t thyme
1/8-1/4+ t liquid smoke

Smoky Slow Cooker Tomato Soup

Saute the onions and garlic in butter.  Add to slow cooker with remaining ingredients except milk.  Cook on low for 6 hours.

Then add milk.  If you'd like it to taste richer, use half and half.  Stir then blend with a hand blender or in a regular blender.  If you use a regular blender, blend in small batches (maybe 2 cups each) as the hot liquid expands and can cause a terrific mess.  I've heard.  I like my soup pretty chunky so I only blended about half.

I had this for dinner two nights in a row.