Fennel Soup (Dairy Free!)

I really love fennel--raw in a salad, golden and roasted, and everything in between. It's got a slight licorice flavor and is really delightful. So when I saw a super easy recipe for fennel soup, I couldn't resist. The link to the inspiration recipe is below.

On its own, the soup was absolutely delicious. A nice fennel flavor, enhanced by browning in the pan before adding the stock. It's a soup that is lovely in its simplicity. Fennel is an unexpected flavor--it's not something most of us have every day. So, a soup like this that showcases it's uniqueness is a really nice addition to my repertoire.

That said, I added in some rutabega and leeks, mostly because I happened to have them already chopped in the fridge and it seemed like a good idea. I also pureed the soup at the end to give it a nice and creamy texture. Neither of those additions are critical, so play with this and either way you'll keep the fennel as the star of this soup. It's scrumptious with just the fennel, and also great with the leeks and/or rutabega added in. You could even use turnips or green onions, or neither. Very forgiving depending on what you have in the fridge.

I did not find that the rutabega changed the flavor at all, so it really was just a way to add more veggies that I had hanging around. It's a perfect soup with just the fennel, and in fact I usually make it with just fennel!

The soup took all of 5 minutes to prep and less than 30 to cook. A very easy way to enjoy the essence of a delightful veggie!

Fennel soup all pureed and simmering before dinner

Fennel Soup
2 tbsp olive oil
5 fennel bulbs, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 leek, diced
1 32-oz container chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups chopped rutabega (extremely optional and unnecessary but tasty)

Heat the olive oil in a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Add the leeks (if using) and some salt and pepper, and cook for one minute. Add the fennel and rutabega (if using), reseason with salt and pepper, and cook until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Add in the broth and simmer for about 20 minutes until all veggies are nice and tender. You can adjust the salt and pepper and serve this right up with the chunky veggies, or use an immersion blender to puree. Whatever you like!

Inspiration Recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/fennel-soup/