Roughly cut the tomatoes in quarters, place them on a baking tray, drizzle with ¼ olive oil, sprinkle with a little salt, pepper and brown sugar. Place in the oven to caramelize (about 15 to 20 minutes);
Meanwhile, in a sauce pan over low heat, saute' the onions, garlic, celery and carrots in the remaining 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Cook for about 10 minutes;
Add the roasted tomatoes, broth, and bay leaf. Simmer until vegetables are tender (another 10 to 15 minutes);
With a hand held blender, puree the contents of the sauce pan to make the soup;
Before serving, stir in the butter (optional, but gives a real special taste) and some fresh basil leaves;
When serving, you may add a small dollop of sour cream or heavy cream for a richer flavor.
Recipe by Easy Recipes, Etc™ at https://easyrecipesetc.com/tomato-soup-recipe/