Have ya ever wondered what that vegetable is in the store that looks kind of like celery but has a large bulb at the bottom and feathery green stuff coming out of the top? It's FENNEL (aka anise)! I had never tasted this strange creature until my mission in Italy. It is amazing and I thought I'd show you what you can do with it. Today we are going to make Tomato Fennel soup. I can't remember where I got the recipe, I don't have it written down anywhere, it is so easy I just remember it. So here ya go!
1- fennel bulb
1- medium onion
1-clove garlic
1- 28 oz can tomato pure' or crushed tomatoes
4-cups chicken broth (I use 4 chicken bullion cubes + 4 cups water )
1-tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper
Cut the top and bottom off the fennel bulb then dice it. Peel and dice the onion and garlic (I cheat and use bottled minced garlic which you can find in the produce section of a super market near you). Heat a your olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and toss in the fennel, onion and garlic and saute until tender and slightly caramel colored on the edges (3-5 min). Put your chicken broth in a blender and add the sauteed veggies. Blend the heck out of them. Meanwhile in a large pot pour your tomatoes in and heat over med heat. When your veggies are sufficiently pulverized, add the mixture to the tomatoes. Stir and bring to a slow boil. Serve and enjoy. You can garnish it with a piece of that funky feathery stuff from the fennel or sprinkle with cheese. This is a great soup with cheese sandwiches!
Enjoy!
-The Domestic Diva
