Velvety Cream of Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 2 scallions, top green parts only, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Young Living Orange Oil
• One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes in thick tomato puree
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• About 1/3 cup dill fronds, torn into tiny sprigs (see Note)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, for serving

Instructions

1. In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, shallots, scallion tops, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and translucent, about 4 minutes.
2. Coarsely chop the tomatoes. (This is easiest to by reaching into the can and squeezing the tomatoes to crush them. Otherwise, pour the tomatoes and puree into a food processor fitted with the metal blade, and pulse until coarsely chopped.) Pour the tomatoes, milk, and cream into the pot and bring to a simmer, stirring often.
3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over low heat. Whisk in the flour to make a roux. Cook, whisking almost constantly, for about 3 minutes, being sure the roux doesn’t brown. Whisk about 1 1/2 cups of the hot tomato mixture into the roux, then pour the roux mixture into the pot of soup.
4. Reduce the heat to very low. Cook without simmering about 30 minutes to blend the flavors. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, just until the soup begins to simmer and thicken. Add the dill and season with the salt and pepper.
5. Add fifteen drops of Young Living Orange Oil to the soup and stir in.
6. Serve hot, topping each serving with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of grated cheese. (The soup can be prepared up to 2 days ahead, cooled completely, covered, and refrigerated. The soup will thicken when chilled; while reheating, thin the heated soup with milk to the desired thickness. Do not freeze the soup.) Note: To give the soup more texture and dill flavor, I prefer to tear, and not chop, the dill.