Try this Pureed Fennel Soup with Parsley Oil and Herbed Croutons recipe, or contribute your own.
Suggest a better descriptionPreheat the oven to 400 degrees F. (200°C).
For the soup, peel the fennel bulbs and cut them into small cubes. In a 2 1/2- or 3-quart (2.5- or 3-l) saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the fennel, shallots, garlic and thyme, stir to coat evenly with the oil, and saute until lightly softened but not yet browned, about 5 minutes.
Pour in the broth and season lightly with salt and white pepper. Raise the heat, bring the liquid to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer until the fennel is very tender when tested with the tip of a small, sharp knife, about 20 minutes.
While the soup is simmering, prepare the croutons. Arrange the bread cubes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast them in the preheated oven, turning occasionally, until lightly golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven. In a medium-sized skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the fennel fronds and parsley. Add the croutons and toss just long enough to coat the croutons evenly with the oil and herbs. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
In batches and following the manufacturer's instructions for working safely with hot liquids, transfer the soup mixture to a blender or food processor and blend until smoothly pureed. As each batch is pureed, carefully pour it into a strainer over a clean saucepan, pressing the puree through with a rubber spatula. Stir in the lemon juice and taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Cover the soup and keep it warm over very low heat.
For the parsley oil, put the parsley and olive oil in a clean blender container and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
To serve, ladle the soup into heated bowls. With a teaspoon or tablespoon, spoon some of the parsley oil into the center of each bowl. Scatter some croutons over each serving. Put small bowls of any remaining parsley oil or croutons on the table for guests to add to their servings as they like.
(c) 2013 WOLFGANG PUCK WORLDWIDE, INC. DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
Pureed fennel soup
By Wolfgang Puck, Tribune Content Agency
When autumn comes, I love to make soup. That feeling traces back all the way to my childhood in Austria, when my mother would use vegetables from our garden to cook big pots of soup that filled our home with warmth and delicious aromas.
One of my favorite autumn soups features fennel bulbs. Most people think of fennel, in a seasonal peak right now, as something to serve raw, thinly shaved in salads; or sauteed or braised, which tenderizes its crispy texture and caramelizes its natural sweetness. But if you dice the fennel and simmer it in broth, a step that takes under half an hour, you can also puree it to a smooth, satisfying consistency. Simmer some chopped shallots, garlic, and fresh thyme along with the fennel for well-rounded flavors that perfectly complement the gentle anise notes of the fennel.
But that's only the start of my recipe for Pureed Fennel Soup. I always like to add something extra to such smooth preparations -- simple embellishments that will make the velvety mixture even more interesting.
Because the soup itself is a muted ivory hue, I want to spark up each bowl with something brightly colored and vividly flavored. So I prepare a simple condiment by pureeing parsley in good extra-virgin olive oil. Drizzled over each bowlful at serving time, this easy condiment enlivens the presentation. And you won't believe the wonderful perfume that blossoms from each bowl when the parsley oil is stirred into the soup.
For a textural contrast, I like to rely on that old standby, croutons. I start with a rustic loaf with robust flavor and texture. Tossed with some olive oil, cubes of the bread toast up quickly in a hot oven. As a final touch, I toss the still-warm croutons with some chopped parsley and fennel fronds reserved from trimming the bulbs -- not only a source of extra flavor but also a good expression of the waste-not-want-not kitchen philosophy I learned from my mother. Scatter a handful of croutons over each bowl at serving time and guests can enjoy their crunchy texture and aromatic flavor with every spoonful
And speaking of kitchen economy, this already-easy soup also stores well for a future meal. The recipe yields eight servings. So, if there are only two or four of you, simply refrigerate the soup in a covered container, ready to reheat gently on the stovetop. (You may want to stir in a little more broth if the puree seems too thick.) Keep the oil, covered, in the refrigerator, too, and store the croutons in an airtight container at room temperature. The next day, you'll have great soup ready to serve in less than 15 minutes.
View line-by-line Nutrition Insights™: Discover which ingredients contribute the calories/sodium/etc.
|
||
Serving Size: 1 Serving (335g) | ||
Recipe Makes: 8 Servings | ||
|
||
Calories: 270 | ||
Calories from Fat: 177 (66%) | ||
|
||
Amt Per Serving | % DV | |
|
||
Total Fat 19.6g | 26 % | |
Saturated Fat 2.6g | 13 % | |
Monounsaturated Fat 13.8g | ||
Polyunsanturated Fat 2g | ||
Cholesterol 0mg | 0 % | |
Sodium 153.8mg | 5 % | |
Potassium 1273.4mg | 34 % | |
Total Carbohydrate 24.7g | 7 % | |
Dietary Fiber 9.7g | 39 % | |
Sugars, other 15g | ||
Protein 4.2g | 6 % | |
Powered by: USDA Nutrition Database Disclaimer: Nutrition facts are derived from linked ingredients (shown at left in colored bullets) and may or may not be complete. Always consult a licensed nutritionist or doctor if you have a nutrition-related medical condition. |
Calories per serving: 270
Get detailed nutrition information, including item-by-item nutrition insights, so you can see where the calories, carbs, fat, sodium and more come from.
There are no reviews yet. Be the first!
What would you serve with this? Link in another recipe.