French Tomato Soup

This soup is a nice change from the usual Cream of Tomato Soup. Mom liked it so much, she had me write down the recipe for her. Good with a Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces [skip for low cholesterol diet, or use smoked turkey bacon]
1 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T. flour
1 28-oz. can chopped tomatoes
1 tsp. fennel seed [try 1/2 tsp. first - seemed too anisey last time, especially the last few bowls]
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. chervil* [or 1 tsp. dried parsley or 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley]
salt and pepper, to taste
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream [use half n half for low cholesterol diet]

Start frying the bacon in a soup pot; when the bacon is getting brown and a little crispy, add onions and garlic and cook until softened (the bacon will continue to crisp). Add the flour and stir until well mixed in. Add the rest of the ingredients except the heavy cream and heat to boiling.

When ready to serve, add the cream and just bring to a boil. Serve immediately.

*Chervil is an annual herb that looks similar to flat leaf parsley but with a finer stem and more delicate, almost wilting leaves. It has a faint aniseed flavour and is one of the herbs used to make up the French herb mixture fines herbes. I never have this around, as it loses it flavor when dried, and use parsley as a substitute.