By Martha Rose Shulman
- Total Time
- 1 hour 10 minutes
- Rating
- 4(353)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This anise-scented soup is reminiscent of the classic potato and leek soup known as vichyssoise, but it’s lighter and contains no dairy. It’s good hot or cold.
Featured in: Soups That Taste Like Spring
Learn: How to Make Soup
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Ingredients
Yield:6 servings
- 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½large or 1 medium onion, diced
- 2stalks celery, sliced
- 2pounds bulb fennel, trimmed, washed and diced
- 1pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
- 6garlic cloves or ½ head green garlic, peeled and cut in half
- Salt to taste
- A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf, a couple of sprigs each parsley and thyme, ½ teaspoon fennel seeds and ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns, tied in cheesecloth
- 2quarts water, vegetable stock or chicken stock
- Freshly ground pepper
- Chopped fresh fennel fronds
- Lightly crushed fennel seeds
- Paper-thin slices of fennel bulb
- Garlic croutons
- Shaved Parmesan
For Garnish, Choice of
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Preparation
Step
1
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the onion, celery, chopped fennel and a generous pinch of salt. Cook gently for about 5 to 8 minutes, until the vegetables have softened and lost some of their volume. Add the potatoes, garlic, bouquet garni and the water or stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, add salt to taste, cover and simmer 45 minutes.
Step
2
Remove the bouquet garni. Blend the soup until smooth with an immersion blender, or ladle into a blender, working in 1½-cup batches. Remove the center from the blender cover, place a towel over the cover and pull it down tightly to prevent splashing. Blend and return to the pot. Heat through, add salt and pepper to taste and serve, or chill and serve cold, with your choice of garnishes.
- Advance preparation: This will be good for 2 to 3 days. Whisk the soup before reheating or serving cold.
Ratings
4
out of 5
353
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Cooking Notes
Jacqueline
As several have mentioned before, quite bland as described. The delicate flavor of the fennel is completely overtaken and you hardly know this is a fennel soup. I usually make Bittman's version, which is basically a potato leek with fennel instead of leek, and add a dash of Pernod or Ricard liquor to bring out the anise flavor. No need for garlic or celery, just distractions. The parmesan helps but overall a waste of perfectly good fennel:(
Meta
Made it exactly as directed except added 1/2 cup heavy cream at the end which definitely moved it from a good but somewhat dull soup to a rich one. Could barely taste the 2 lbs. of fennel. Served it with the chopped fennel fronds and Parmesan which added a lot of flavor.
Holly
I just added Italian sausage that also had fennel in it. This soup is now on a whole new level!
Aroline
Would be even richer with mushrooms added!
Derrick
I used less water, and only blended half of the mixture, which yielded a nice texture. I also just put the spices in and blended them up, which also worked just fine.
Delicious recipe!
Yoda Namam
Potato skin lover (ok, obsessive) that I am, I like flash frying the skins from the spuds used in the recipe until they’re crispy and then drain any oil on hot paper towel. While still hot, powder them with a sprinkling of ground black pepper or ground herbs of choice (take care to not overpower the flavorings in the soup). When the fried skins have cooled, crush to sprinkle as a topping on the soup.
Laura Larre
I make this regularly replacing the potatoes with zucchini for a silky smooth texture. Sometimes I add a bit of spinach for colour. The fennel flavour comes out strongly, less bland than this recipe
mdurphy
Try roasting the fennel and onion first.
Bonnie
I made this dish just as the recipe says. I had no fennel seeds so added two star anise. It was too soupy and not as thick as I would have preferred so I would cut by 1/2 to 2/3 next time I have fresh fennel.
Carolyn
Anise is one of those flavors that can be cloying. Here it's distinct but not overbearing - perfectly composed. That said, works best as a warm-up rather than a main.
Linda
Just made this lovely soup and am very happy with the fennel forward flavor. I bought fresh-from-a-local-farm fennel which had a more pronounced anise flavor than commercially farmed fennel I've bought in a grocery store. Those who are disappointed in the fennel flavor may want to change where their fennel comes from. Just a thought.
Alison's notes
A winner. An absolute winner. I made this almost exactly as written, with two exceptions to accommodate the tastes of my domesticated partner: first, I cut the chicken stock by half a cup, as she likes a thicker soup. Second, I dashed in a smattering of red pepper flakes before the simmer. The fennel, while subtle, was undeniably present. What a perfect meal for a sub-zero winter night.
Sachi
A beautiful soup! I reduced the veg broth to 6 cups and also added 1 tsp of white miso. No other changes. The texture was gorgeous and the subtle flavors were super elegant. Forget the parm shavings—that’s a mistake. This soup needs no toppings. Will definitely make again!
EM
I added 2 star anise to it as well. I think that helped bring out the fennel flavor a little more.
Patti
I used an immersion blender---way easier! Followed the directions exactly. Needed to reduce it a bit though as it can be watery otherwise. Made croutons from brioche sauteed in evoo with a tiny bit of garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Yummy!
Victoria Alvarez
For the ingredients, this soup is simple and amazing. The texture is super silky and for the first time using fennel it was amazing. I'm not sure what flavor people are wanting to be the star but I always love the taste of garlic on everything and .. onion and garlic, with the fennel makes a lot of sense. The celery compliments the carrot and it all works very well. For how inexpensive this is to make, it is worth the time and effort.
joe b
Needs some cream or butter for richness
Gwen H
Made without celery (forgot) and with an old parmesan rind (I freeze the to flavour soups and broths). Also added a strip of orange zest. Agree with other reviews that the flavor of the fennel is mild, but it's always the case when you cook fennel. Deliciously comforting on a cold winter evening, and practically makes itself.
jamie
Pretty blah, but fine if you need to use up fennel. Feels quite healthy, and it is.
Don Calman
2/4/2019. excellent
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