Just because it’s getting warm doesn’t mean soup season is necessarily over.
There are winter soups, there are summer soups, and then there is this cream of fennel soup that is perfect for spring.
The ingredient list for this soup is pretty simple: other than the key item—the fennel—you simply need to add butter, onions, broth, and a touch of cream. Other than that, it’s just salt and pepper to taste.
F0r many people, fennel is a potent flavor that they feel overpowers whatever it’s served with. I, myself, am a big fan of that strong flavor and like to use it boldly. I’ve paired fennel with chicken, with lamb, and with seafood.
But if you want to just dip your toes into fennel flavor, this soup is a good place to start. It may seem counterintuitive that a soup made primarily of fennel is the beginner’s option, but here, the fennel flavor is mellowed by the cream and broth.
What you end up with is a lovely, silky soup perfect for serving on a cool spring day. And while the soup may lack the vibrant color that screams “winter is over!”, I promise you’ll forget all about that after a single spoonful.
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 lbs fennel, cored and chopped, fronds removed and saved for garnish
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (optional)
- 3 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- In a medium-sized heavy bottomed saucepan, melt butter. Add fennel, onion, and salt. Cook until vegetables are soft and fragrant, about 15 minutes.
- Stir in flour and mix to coat. Add chicken broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer soup for 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and use an immersion blender or food processor to puree soup until smooth.
- Return to low heat and stir in cream and pepper. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
[…] You may someday find yourself with a bulb of fennel left over from making cream of fennel soup. […]
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