I’ve only had a food blog for a little over a week, but I’ve already become painfully aware of something pretty important: I make a lot of ugly food. Now, I don’t second guess my ability to make something that’s delicious. But, my dear reader, please bear with me as I work on composition, lighting, and presentation with my modest little point and shoot camera. Surely, the more I practice, the better I’ll get… right? We’ll see!
So, onto the ugly but delicious food. This roasted fennel soup turned out to be more gravy-like and filling than I was expecting, not that I’m complaining. The leftovers made a comforting lunch here in perpetually chilly San Francisco.
Roasted Fennel Soup and Leek Soup
(Adapted from cooksrecipes.com)
Print this recipe2 large bulbs fennel, quarted
2 T your cooking oil of choice
2 leeks (white parts), sliced
1 1/2 c potatoes, peeled and cubed (I used a mix of red and purple potatoes and didn’t peel them, hence the strange color)
2 T dry sherry
2 c chicken stock
1/2 c half and half or whole milk
1/2 c walnuts, toasted and chopped*
1/3 c blue cheese, crumbled
Lemon zest
salt & pepper to tasteServes 4
* Toasting nuts brings out their flavor. To toast walnuts, heat a small skillet over a medium flame. Add walnuts and stir constantly for 3-5 minutes. Do not add any additional oil to the skillet and do not walk away, the walnuts will easily burn.
- Preheat oven to 400F. Toss the fennel with oil and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast fennel on a baking sheet until golden brown, about 20 minutes (it took about 30 minutes for me, but my oven is really old).
- Heat oil in a pot over a medium flame. Add leeks and cook for about 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add potatoes and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are fully cooked. Puree mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return mixture to the pot.
- After the fennel has cooled and is easy to handle, slice into 1/2 inch strips. Add fennel to the potato mixture, along with the sherry and half and half or milk. Return the mixture to a simmer and stir in the walnut pieces, cheese, and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish soup with walnuts and cheese, if you wish. Enjoy!
Related posts:
- cream of roasted tomato and fennel soup
- broccoli, potato, and leek soup
- chickpea and leek soup
- red lentil and sweet potato soup
- turnip potato soup
Tags: soup
