Fennel Soup With a Green Swirl
- Course: Soup
- Features: Fast
Summary:
This soup, featured in the latest cookbook from Chez Panisse chef David Tanis, takes minutes to put together. Consider it a Dinner in Minutes bonus recipe for this week. It's a good example of how to create a creamy consistency (rice is a thickener) without adding lots of extra calories or dairy.
Substitute water or vegetable broth to make this a vegetarian dish.
4 to 6 servings
Ingredients:
For the soup- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 medium fennel bulbs, trimmed (reserving fronds), cored and cut into very thin slices
- 1 large onion, cut into thin slices
- 4 medium cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup (raw) long-grain white rice
- 6 cups no-salt-added chicken broth, or as needed (may substitute water)
- 1 cup coarsely chopped fennel fronds (from the fennel bulbs)
- Leaves from 4 to 6 stems flat-leaf parsley (1/2 cup)
- 1/2 cup packed basil leaves
- 1/4 cup chopped scallions , white and light-green parts
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
For the soup: Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the sliced fennel, onion and garlic. Season generously with salt and pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring often, until the mixture has softened and picked up a little color.
Add the rice and the 6 cups of broth. Increase the heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed. Cook for 20 minutes.
Transfer the soup to a blender in batches and puree; remove the center knob in the blender lid and place a dish towel over the opening to allow steam to escape. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into the pot that was used to cook the soup; discard any fibrous solids. Place over medium-low heat. If the consistency is too thick, add broth as needed.
While the soup is warming, make the green swirl: Rinse and dry the blender, then add the fennel fronds, parsley, basil, scallions, oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Puree on high speed until smooth, then transfer to a small bowl.
Ladle equal portions of soup into individual bowls, Swirl a tablespoon of the green puree into each bowl. Serve immediately.
Recipe Source:
Adapted from David Tanis’s “Heart of the Artichoke” (Artisan, 2010).
E-mail the Food Section with recipe questions.
(Deb Lindsey for The Washington Post)
