Tomato Basil Cheddar Soup

It's been a little quiet around here this week (this seems to be becoming a regular occurrence), but it's mostly just because I've been on an emotional roller coaster this week.. because of Doctor Who.  Oh yeah.  I've been re-watching all of the new series, and this week marked the end of David Tennant as the Doctor.  It still made me bawl my eyes out.  And it gave me a whole new appreciation of Donna Noble (the first time 'round, I couldn't get the hang of really any of the new companions, and Donna was no exception).  So I just sort of.. haven't done anything.  You've got to mourn, you know?

This soup, though, is a wonderful bowl of comfort.  Perfect for those nights that you don't really want to do anything but watch a certain Doctor.  It's quick to come together and so full of flavor.  With a lot of tomato soups, I don't like them very much - they never have quite enough flavor for me.  This soup, though, shines on its own.  It'd be great paired with grilled cheese, as with most tomato soups, but for once, I don't see it as a necessity.  I would happily sit down with just a bowl of this soup and nothing else (and I did, with the leftovers, for lunch).  Because I don't really have fresh basil right now (my basil plant died.. I am the worst at keeping plants), I used dried basil - I'll include both options in the recipe below.

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