cream of roasted tomato and fennel soup

I’ve mentioned before here that I’m not really a huge fan of pureed soups, but Cory made this several months ago and I’ve been meaning to make it ever since. I don’t even really like tomatoes that much… unless they’ve been roasted or sun-dried. So to have a whole bowl of roasted tomato soup was nothing short of a treat for me. The combination of roasted tomatoes, shallots, garlic, and fennel is incredible. The original recipe called for a couple tablespoons of anise liqeur, but I decided to leave that out since I didn’t have any on hand. Also, the source included a recipe for parsley croutons, so do check it out if you’re interested.  I ended up serving this with grilled cheese, which made it a cozy and comforting meal.

Cream of Roasted Tomato and Fennel Soup
(adapted from Gumbo Pages)
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3 lbs tomatoes
olive oil
salt & pepper
3 T unsalted butter
8 shallots, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 bulb fennel, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 T anise liqeur (I left this out)
2-3 c vegetable or chicken stock
1 bay leaf
a few sprigs of fresh herbs (parsley, tarragon, oregano, basil)
1 c heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 400F. Wash and pat dry the tomatoes. Cut them in half and scrape out the seeds with a fork or your fingers. Coat the tomatoes in olive oil. Place them cut side down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle them with a little salt and pepper. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the skins of the tomatoes turn dark. Remove and let cool until the tomatoes are easy enough to handle. Peel off the skins.

In a large pot over medium heat, add the butter. Once it has melted, add the shallots, fennel, and carrots. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until they’ve softened. Add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add two cups of stock, bay leaf, sprigs of fresh herbs, and simmer on a very low heat for 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and herbs. Add roasted tomatoes and anise liqeur to the pot.

Puree the soup in a blender, food processor, or run it through a food mill. Return the soup back to the pot, add a cup of heavy cream, and bring the soup to a gentle simmer. Add another cup of stock if you think the soup is too thin (as you can see, I preferred my soup to be on the thicker side). Season to taste. Serve with more fresh herbs and croutons, crusty bread, or grilled cheese.

Serves 3-4

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4. puréed fava bean soup
5. cream of spinach soup