Delicious Tomato Soup

I found a great recipe for tomato soup. I know it's weird to eat soup in the hot days of summer, but I love soup and eat it often. Canned soup is fine, but I love homemade soup and feel a sense of accomplishment when I find and make a new recipe that turns out to be delicious.

Click here for the original recipe. I changed it a little and it's super good.

2 (14 oz) cans chopped tomatoes (I used the Italian flavored ones)
1/4 c olive oil (this was plenty)

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, pressed

2 cups chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1 T butter

1/2 c skim milk (fat free half and half would be great too)
salt and pepper to taste

I roasted the tomatoes for 20 minutes while I sautéed the other vegetables until they were soft. I simmered it all together for 15 minutes then blended it up in a regular blender (an immersion blender would work way better). This is a very tasty soup. It's definitely going in my regular food rotation.

It heats up well and actually tastes better left over.