Tomato Cheese Soup

Directions

Place the tomatoes, with juice, in a buttered oven-proof baking dish .

Add the celery, garlic and red pepper and cover and bake in a 325℉ (160℃) oven for 25 minutes.

Sauté the mushrooms and onion in the second batch of butter in a large stock pot for about 8 minutes.

While stirring, slowly add the flour and sugar, blending until mixture is very smooth.

Add the stock, basil, rosemary and thyme, stirring until soup comes to a boil.

Add the contents of the baked tomato pan from the oven and bring to a boil.

Cover and simmer the soup for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, blend the cream cheese, salt and pepper until smooth.

Slowly stir the cream cheese into the soup.

Garnish with chopped parsley.