Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pounds chicken, diced
2 tablespoons shallots, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 ounces fresh basil, roughly chopped
8 1/2 cups chicken broth
4 3/4 cups canned chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup tomato puree
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup half-and-half

Preparation:
1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Add diced chicken and saute (over medium-high heat) until chicken is cooked through. Add shallots, garlic, basil and chicken broth. Simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Add chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and tomato paste and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, prepare a roux in a separate small pan (over low to medium-low heat) by melting butter and whisking in flour. Allow roux to cook, stirring, about 2 minutes; it will look like a blond paste. If desired, taste roux to make sure it has lost its raw-flour taste. Add a small amount of boiling soup to the roux, stirring, then add contents of the small pan to the soup, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Remove from heat and stir in half-and-half.