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So far this winter, I’ve been cooking up a lot of soup. During the hotter months I’m a “juicer” but during colder months I’m finding that I’m a “souper” (is that even a word?). When cooked with whole organic ingredients, soup can be filled with nutrients. Not only does soup warm you up, but it fills you up as well.
Hard to believe that this soup contains very few ingredients. Only a few vegetables, some broth, and a bit of herbs are simmered in a little butter to make a hearty and comforting soup.
Neither the fennel nor carrots over powers; rather they combine perfectly making it a silky subtle soup. My stepdaughter, who doesn’t like carrots, loved this soup. She ate a bowl right after I made it and ate leftovers the next day too. This soup can be saved and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
What I loved most was the maple yogurt and chestnut topping. Ready made chestnuts are chopped and browned in butter. I used Greek yogurt mixed with maple syrup for a creamy topping. If you can’t find chestnuts, and are not a vegetarian, try browning some diced pancetta instead.
This isn’t one of those quick soups, since it does take almost and hour to simmer the vegetables, which deepens the flavor of the soup. Besides taking the time to simmer, this is a very simple soup to make. So get “souping” this winter!
Fennel + Carrot Soup
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hours
- Total Time: 1 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 1x
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: Vegetarian
Description
Adapted from bon appétit, November 2014
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 carrots, peeled, chopped
- 1 small Yukon Gold potato, peeled, halved
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
- 4-cup organic low-sodium vegetable broth
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped roasted chestnuts, ready to use (I use Trader Joes)
- ¼ cup organic Greek yogurt
- 1-tablespoon pure maple syrup
Instructions
- In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat.
- Add fennel, onion, carrots, potato, thyme, and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally and reducing heat if needed, until vegetables are soft but not browned and have released their moisture, approximately 45 to 50 minutes.
- Add broth and bring to a boil. Check to see if additional salt and or pepper are needed. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until potato is falling apart, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool slightly. Remove thyme springs and bay leaf.
- Working in batches, puree soup in a blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
- In a small sauté pan, heat remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add chopped chestnuts and cook, stirring often, until butter is browned and chestnuts are toasted, about 4 minutes.
- In a small bowl, or bottle, mix Greek yogurt and maple syrup. Serve soup topped with maple yogurt and chestnuts.
- Soup can me made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill. Reheat to serve.
Notes
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