Crush tomatoes by hand and add to a 6 quart Dutch oven, including juice

Add butter, onions, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium low.

Cook for about 45 minutes until the sauce is slightly reduced. You can set this sauce base aside to freeze if you choose.

To the sauce base, add the herbs, tomato paste, heavy cream, and chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste, and cook for about 15 minutes more.

Remove the onions and discard.

Using either a hand-held masher or immersion blender, adjust the texture to your liking. A hand-held masher will leave the soup a little more chunkier. The immersion blender will make the soup lighter in color and creamier.

Serve hot and topped with extra toppings (bacon, sour cream, croutons) to your liking.