Begin by washing and halving your cherry tomatoes. Peel and smash the garlic cloves, and dice the sweet onion and red bell pepper.
In your slow cooker, add the halved cherry tomatoes, smashed garlic, diced onion, and diced red bell pepper. Sprinkle in the olive oil, salt, black pepper, Italian herbs, and tomato paste. Stir everything together to combine.
Pour in the vegetable broth and add the dried basil leaves and red pepper flakes. Give it a good stir to mix all the ingredients well.
Cover the slow cooker and set it to cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours. This slow cooking time allows all the flavors to develop beautifully.
Once the cooking time is complete, use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, carefully transfer the soup in batches to a regular blender.
After blending, return the soup to the slow cooker (if using a regular blender). Stir in the heavy cream and grated parmesan cheese. Allow it to heat through for an additional 10-15 minutes on low.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh basil leaves. Serve with a side of crusty bread or a grilled cheese sandwich for the ultimate comfort meal.
