Creamy Triple Tomato Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 cup tomato sauce (i use my own homemade, but a can will work in a pinch)
1 (28 ounce) can tomatoes (crushed, stewed or diced, NOT sauce or whole)
3 cups vegetable stock
salt
pepper, to taste
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon dried basil (optional, use if using canned sauce or no basil in larger can of tomatoes)
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded pecorino romano cheese (optional)

Preparation

In a 3 quart or larger pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the garlic until fragrant but not browned.
Stir in the tomato paste and brown the tomato paste in the pot for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds or so.
Stir in the tomato sauce, 28 ounce can of tomatoes, vegetable stock, salt, pepper, bay leaf, and basil (if using). Cover and bring to a simmer.
Simmer, loosely covered, at least a half an hour, but longer is better, up to an hour.
Turn off the heat. Whisk a little bit of the hot soup into the sour cream to create a smooth creamy base which you will then stir into the pot of soup.
Serve, topped with a little pecorino romano, if desired.