Best 20 Fennel Soup Recipes

ROASTED-POTATO FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, until cooked through.
• Saute the onions and fennel with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large stockpot on medium heat until translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the roasted potatoes (including the scrapings from the pan) and the chicken stock. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, until all of the vegetables are very soft. Add the heavy cream and allow the soup to cool slightly. Pass the soup through the largest disk of a food mill or chop coarsely in batches in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Taste for salt and pepper. Reheat and serve hot.

CIOPPINO (SEAFOOD SOUP) WITH FENNEL AND GARLIC

Steps:

• In a large, heavy saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the chopped fennel, onion, shallots, and garlic and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until golden brown. Stir in the wine, then the tomatoes, parsley, red pepper flakes, clam juice, and water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the butter and stir to melt, then remove from heat.
• In a large cast iron skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and toss on the mussels and clams. Cook for 4 minutes. As the mussels and clams begin to open, add the fish, calamari, and shrimp, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until the shrimp turn pink. Discard any mussels or clams that don't open. Add 1 cup of the tomato mixture and simmer for 5 minutes. Transfer the contents of the skillet to the saucepan with the remaining tomato mixture and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Ladle into soup bowls. Sprinkle with the basil, garnish with the fennel fronds, and serve immediately.

WHITE BEAN FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute onion and fennel in oil until tender. Add the broth, beans, tomatoes, thyme, pepper and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until fennel is tender. , Discard bay leaf. Add spinach; cook 3-4 minutes longer or until spinach is wilted.

ROASTED GARLIC, POTATO, LEEK AND FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325F while peeling garlic cloves.
• Place garlic cloves in small baking pan; add 1 tablespoons of the olive oil and stir to coat well. Roast for 20 minutes or until golden.
• In large heavy saucepan heat remaining oil over medium heat. Add leeks and fennel; saute until mixture begins to brown slightly, about 10 minutes.
• Add broth, potatoes, roasted garlic, thyme and bay leaves; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
• Remove bay leaves and discard.
• Puree soup, in batches, in food processor or blender. Return to sauce pan and heat through.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Divide among 4 bowls and top each with a tablespoon of yogurt.
• Garnish with a bit of chopped fennel leaves, if desired.

TOMATO FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook and stir fennel, onion, celery, and garlic in the hot oil until tender, about 10 minutes.
• Pour tomatoes and chicken broth over vegetable mixture and simmer for 4 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and add basil and parsley. Cool soup slightly.
• Pour soup into a blender no more than half-full. Cover and hold lid down; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Puree in batches until smooth.

CARROT FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in lowest position.
• Chop enough fennel fronds to measure 1 tablespoon and reserve. Discard stalks and remaining fronds. Slice bulbs 1/4 inch thick and toss with carrots, onion, garlic, 3 tablespoons oil, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread in a 4-sided sheet pan and roast, stirring occasionally, until browned and tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Blend half of vegetables in a blender with broth until very smooth. Transfer to a medium saucepan. Repeat with remaining vegetables and water. Thin to desired consistency with extra water and simmer 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, finely grind fennel seeds in grinder and stir into remaining 2 tablespoons oil. 3Serve soup drizzled with fennel oil and sprinkled with reserved fronds.

CREAMY FENNEL AND LEEK SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a large, deep (preferably non-stick) sauté pan, over a medium heat, add the sliced fennel (NOT the strips of fennel), sliced leek and finely chopped garlic, and sauté, while stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes or until the fennel, leeks and garlic are beginning to soften.
• Remove from the heat, and set aside.
• In a large pot, heat the stock, add the rosemary sprigs, thyme and nutmeg and bring to the boil.
• Simmer over a low heat for about 15 minutes.
• Remove the rosemary sprigs.
• Add the fennel, leek and garlic mixture to the pot, and stir to combine all the ingredients.
• Set the pan in which the fennel, leek and garlic were sautéed aside, for re-use later.
• Allow the soup to cool slightly (10 minutes cooling time should be ample), then blend it in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth.
• As each batch is blended, pour the blended soup into another pot or pan, perhaps the deep pan used earlier to sauté the fennel, leeks and garlic.
• Once all of the soup has been blended, stir it to ensure that it is of an even consistency (inevitably some batches were probably thinner than others).
• Stir the sour cream and the 1/4 cup of parmesan into the soup.
• Reheat the soup over a medium heat until it is hot, but do not allow it to come to the boil.
• Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Turn off the heat and leave the soup covered so that it stays warm.
• In a small non-stick pan, heat the oil, and sauté the extra leek for 2-3 minutes, or until softened but not browned.
• Ladle the soup into warm soup bowls and top with the sautéed leek.
• Garnish with the extra parmesan and sour cream, and serve immediately with warm crusty rolls.
• Chef's Note: Since posting this recipe, and since last making this soup, I have found and posted a fabulous recipe for vegetable, quite unlike others I have used in the past: Vegetable Stock Recipe #135453.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• In a 6-qt. stockpot, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat; saute sausage until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes. Remove sausage, reserving drippings in pot., In same pot, heat remaining oil over medium heat; saute fennel, carrots and onion 8 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute. Add potatoes, beans, broth and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 10 minutes., Stir in tomatoes, salt, pepper and sausage; return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

FENNEL AND POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• Slice the fennel into medium-size pieces.
• Heat butter and olive oil together in a pot over medium-low heat. Add sliced fennel, spring onions, and 1 cup of the stock. Cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes until fennel is soft and translucent.
• Pour remaining stock into the pot; add potato. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer gently until the potato is very soft and cooked through, about 25 minutes. Gently mash vegetables with a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon until soup is thick and chunky. If soup is too thick, stir in water by tablespoons to your desired consistency. Season with black pepper. Let rest 5 minutes to allow flavors to develop before serving.

CARROT, FENNEL, AND ORANGE SOUP

Steps:

• In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook fennel bulb in butter over moderate heat, stirring, until softened and beginning to turn golden. Add carrots and garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add water and salt and simmer, covered, 20 minutes, or until carrots are very tender.
• In a blender purée mixture in batches with orange juice, sour cream, and salt and pepper to taste until smooth, transferring to another heavy saucepan. Heat soup, stirring, just until heated through (do not let boil).
• Serve soup garnished with chervil leaves or fennel fronds.

FENNEL SOUP GRATIN

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the fennel, onions, and thyme and saute for 20 to 25 minutes, until the onions and fennel are very tender and caramelized. (You can add a little water if it starts to stick.) Deglaze the pan by adding the brandy; reduce the heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the sherry and white wine and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, salt, and pepper and continue to cook, uncovered, for another 15 minutes. Add the Pernod and cook for 5 more minutes. Check for salt and pepper.
• Preheat the broiler.
• Ladle the soup into 6 to 8 ovenproof bowls and place 1 or 2 slices of French bread and a handful of Gruyère cheese on top of each bowl. Place the bowls on a baking sheet and slide them under the broiler for 3 minutes, or until the cheese is brown and bubbly, and serve.

FENNEL AND CARROT SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add fennel, carrots, celery, leeks, thyme, and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften but do not brown, 30 to 45 minutes.
• Pour broth into the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until all of the vegetables are cooked, about 10 minutes. Remove the thyme stems and bay leaf. Puree soup using an immersion blender.

FENNEL CARROT SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add fennel; cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until lightly toasted. Add carrots, sweet potato and apple; cook and stir 5 minutes longer. , Stir in broth, rice, bay leaf and curry powder; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 30 minutes or until vegetables and rice are soft. , Remove from heat; cool slightly. Discard bay leaf. Process in batches in a blender until smooth; return to pan. Stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with parsley.

TOMATO AND FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the fennel and cook, stirring, until it starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the celery, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes longer to allow the flavors to blend together. Carefully add the Pernod. (Caution! It could flame up.) Add the dill, celery seeds, and pepper. Add the vegetable stock and tomatoes, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let simmer for 40 minutes.
• Remove the pot from the heat. Process the soup, in batches, in a blender or food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade until smooth. Add the butter, if desired, and stir until melted. Taste and check the seasoning, adding salt if needed.

CREAM OF FENNEL SOUP (FENNEL VICHYSSOISE)

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add fennel; cook and stir until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in leeks; cook until slightly softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add potatoes and broth. Bring soup to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes.
• Puree soup with an immersion blender until smooth. Add carrots and red bell pepper; simmer until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in heavy cream and anise-flavored liqueur. Season with salt and white pepper.

ROASTED CARROT-FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F with rack in lowest position.
• Chop enough fennel fronds to measure 1 T and reserve. Discard stalks and remaining fronds. Slice bulbs 1/4" thick and toss with carrots, onion, garlic, 3 T olive oil, sugar. salt, and pepper. Spread in a 10" x 13" baking pan that has been lined with parchment paper and roast, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are browned and tender, appx. 30-45 minutes.
• When vegetables are done, remove from oven and cool slightly. Place vegetables in a large soup kettle and add vegetable broth. Using a hand blender, blend vegetables and broth together until very smooth. (Alternately, you can blend the vegetables and broth in a blender in batches, and transfer to a soup kettle when blended.) Thin with water if needed.
• Over medium heat, bring soup just to boiling, and then lower heat to keep warm until ready to serve.
• Meanwhile, finely grind fennel seeds in a spice or coffee grinder and stir into remaining 2 T olive oil.
• Serve soup drizzled with fennel oil and sprinkled with reserved chopped fronds.
• (Note: fennel oil can be made up to two days ahead and kept at room temperature until ready to serve.).

CREAMY FENNEL AND GREENS SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil and butter in a 6-quart heavy pot over medium heat until foam subsides. Add fennel, onion, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Add leafy greens (but not spinach) and water to pot and simmer, covered, until greens are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook, uncovered, just until wilted, about 1 minute.
• Purée soup in batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids) until smooth, then return to pot. Stir in cream and lemon juice and reheat over low heat. Season with salt.
• Cooks' note:
• Soup can be made 2 days ahead and chilled (covered once cool). Reheat or serve cold.

CREAM OF FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook onion until soft and translucent. Whisk in flour and stir until a paste forms, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk water and vegetable bouillon into the saucepan. Add fennel and bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until fennel is soft, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Puree soup with an immersion blender. Stir in cream. If soup is too thick, add more water as needed. Season with salt and pepper.
• Chop fennel fronds. Divide soup between 4 bowls and sprinkle with fennel fronds.

CHICKEN AND ORZO SOUP WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Combine chicken broth, salt, and pepper in a large soup pot; bring to a boil over high heat. Add carrots, fennel, and orzo; return to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until orzo and vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in chicken; cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
• Remove pot from heat; stir in lemon juice and dill.

WILD MUSHROOM SOUP WITH CHESTNUTS AND ROASTED FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Put the fennel halves, cut-side up, in a baking dish and drizzle with enough olive oil to come up half-way; season with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes or until completely tender - the roasted fennel is the base of the soup, so it's important the flesh is soft enough to be cut with a spoon. Reserve until ready to serve.
• In a large pot, melt the butter over medium flame, add the onion and garlic, and saute for 4 minutes until translucent. Toss the thyme into the pan, along with the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the mushrooms give off their liquid. Add the chestnuts and cook for a few more minutes until they have some nice color on them. Remove about 1 cup of the mixture to save as a garnish for the soup.
• Pour the stock into the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring now and then. Remove from the heat and puree the soup until completely smooth, using a handheld or regular blender. Stir in the cream to make the soup even richer, and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper.
• To serve: Ladle the soup into soup bowls; garnish each serving with a bit of the reserved mushrooms and chestnuts, a roasted fennel half, and a sprinkle of chopped chives.