Fresh Tomato Soup

My mom gave us a bag full of tomatoes last weekend that she had accumulated from several different people. It is that time of year when people are finding themselves with an overload of vegetables from their garden so they give them to neighbors and friends because they know they can't possibly use them all before they go bad.
For the record...I will kindly accept fresh fruits and vegetables if you are one of these people.

In order to use up some of the tomatoes I decided to make homemade tomato soup for tonight's dinner. I realize it is 95 degrees and the middle of summer but for some reason soup was on my mind. This is a healthy and delicious meal full of fresh ingredients. With a grilled cheese on the side this is the perfect comfort meal and lets face it, sometimes comfort is what we want (even in the middle of summer).

Fresh Tomato Soup

Ingredients:
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup chopped red onion
- 1 cup chopped carrot
- 1 tablespoon sliced fresh basil
- 2 1/2 - 3 cups sliced tomatoes ( 5 to 6 medium sized tomatoes)
- Salt and pepper
- Greek yogurt and basil as a topping (optional)

Directions:
- Pour the chicken broth in a large saucepan and add the chopped onion, carrots, basil, and tomatoes to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

-Using a handheld blender mix all the ingredients until the mixture is smooth.  If you don't have a handheld blender you can use a regular blender or food processor, mixing half of the soup at a time.
Spoon the soup into a serving bowl and if you choose top with a tablespoon of Greek Yogurt and chopped fresh basil. You will be glad you did.