Tomato Basil Soup

Heat the butter and oil in a large Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, bay leaf and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring often, or until the onion is translucent and the carrots have softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and basil leaves, and stir to coat the veggies with the tomato paste. Cook another 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes (with juices), chicken broth, black pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for another 30 minutes. Taste and add a little more salt and pepper if you’d like (we like extra fresh-ground pepper in ours). Remove the bay leaf, and, using an immersion blender, puree the soup (alternatively, transfer the soup to a blender and puree until it’s creamy). Garnish with a couple of basil leaves and a dollop of sour cream for anyone who likes it, and serve with cheese toasts.