Creamy Tomato Soup

I found this recipe on Epicurious and it's so good I had to share. I've always been a Campbell's Creamy Tomato Soup kind of girl and I have never been able to find a healthy homemade comparison I liked just as much...until I made this. I made a few tweaks so the recipe below include my changes.
The original is here

Cream of Tomato Soup
5 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1 cup half and half
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 small can tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups tomatoes, chopped (fresh or canned)

Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the onion is softened but not browned. Sprinkle the flour over the butter mixture and continue to stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk, half and half, chicken broth, bay leaf, sugar, and salt and continue to cook and stir until slightly thickened. Stir the baking soda into the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes to the milk, and bring just to a simmer. Remove from the heat and put through a strainer (or use an immersion blender to smooth the soup.) Taste and correct seasonings. Reheat before serving.

**I added pepper and basil. Nothing original but the combination made the soup perfect!

Enjoy!!