• In a stockpot or large pot, add about a tablespoon of olive oil and sauté diced onion over medium/high heat. Once onions become transparent and fragrant add the butter and stir. Once butter has melted add flour and stir until the onions look evenly coated.
• Add minced garlic and fresh sprigs of thyme stir for about a minute until fragrant.
• Pour crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and chicken broth into the pot and stir.
• Add sea salt, bay leaves, dried basil and sugar (*a little sugar helps to cut acidity of tomatoes and help to bring out the soup's best flavors!)
• Once soup begins to simmer, lower the heat and cover the pot (tipping the lid so a little steam can escape). Let the soup simmer anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes occasionally stirring so nothing is left to burn at the bottom of the pot.
• Remove from heat then take out bay leaves and sprigs of thyme. From there add in the cream and season with a bit of salt (if needed) and pepper to taste! When ready to serve grate Parmesan cheese on top-Enjoy!

How to make the PERFECT Grilled Cheese (make these while soup simmers!)

• Coat nonstick pan in 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter over medium/ high heat. When butter has melted and begins to bubble a bit; take both slices of bread and rub the pan to evenly coat both slices in browned butter.
• Lower heat to medium/low setting and place cheese on bread layering other piece of bread on top. The key is to use a low heat so bread is grilled evenly and the cheese has enough time to get perfectly melted!
• Before flipping check to see that pan is still buttered, if not add more butter and flip (*if there is not enough butter the pan burns off what's left and begins to smoke a little... you don't want this.
• When both sides have reached the perfect golden brown remove from heat and cut in half to serve with delicious soup-Enjoy! :)