Creamy Fennel White Bean Soup Recipes

WHITE BEAN FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute onion and fennel in oil until tender. Add the broth, beans, tomatoes, thyme, pepper and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until fennel is tender. , Discard bay leaf. Add spinach; cook 3-4 minutes longer or until spinach is wilted.

CARAMELIZED FENNEL AND WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat a large sauce pot over medium high heat. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Once oil is hot, add fennel bulb, fresh thyme, and butter. Allow to cook until the fennel begins to turn golden amber brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add white wine and garlic. Add vegetable stock and white beans. Reduce heat and allow soup to come to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve by ladling 5 to 6 ounces of soup into a bowl. Garnish with a few fresh thyme leaves and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. See Cook's Note.

CREAMY FENNEL & WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven over medium, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from the pot.
• Add the onions, fennel, garlic, and ground fennel to the pot and cook over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of the beans and set aside. Add the remaining beans to the pot along with the broth, rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high. Cover, reduce to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Remove and discard the rosemary sprig. Let the soup cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Transfer about 1/3 of the soup to a blender. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and puree until smooth. Transfer to a large saucepan, then repeat with the remaining soup and oil, working in batches. Add the reserved beans and heat over medium-low, stirring, until the soup is heated through, about 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve drizzled with oil, sprinkled with the bacon and chives, with lemon wedges on the side.

CREAM OF FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook onion until soft and translucent. Whisk in flour and stir until a paste forms, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk water and vegetable bouillon into the saucepan. Add fennel and bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until fennel is soft, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Puree soup with an immersion blender. Stir in cream. If soup is too thick, add more water as needed. Season with salt and pepper.
• Chop fennel fronds. Divide soup between 4 bowls and sprinkle with fennel fronds.

CARAMELIZED FENNEL AND WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Slice the fennel bulbs thinly; chop the fennel fronds and set them aside to use later.
• In a large heavy sauce pot over medium temperature, heat the olive oil; add the sliced fennel bulb, thyme, and butter.
• Saute, stirring occasionally, until fennel is golden brown and caramelized, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add the white wine, garlic, stock, and small white beans and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
• (At this point, if you'd like a creamy soup you can take out half of the soup and puree it in a blender, then add it back into the pot.).
• Season soup to taste with sea salt and white pepper.
• Garnish with a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a bit of chopped fennel frond, and serve.
• Note: more beans can be added to the soup, if you like (a couple of cups worth), or you can use other kinds of beans or a combination. And yes, the amounts are correct in the recipe - it's a gallon of stock. This makes a lotta soup!

CREAMY WHITE BEAN AND FENNEL CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Trim the fennel. Cut it in half lengthwise and slice it crosswise, about 1/4-inch thick (reserve about 1/4 cup roughly chopped fennel fronds). Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium. Add the sliced fennel, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but still retaining a little bite, about 12 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, pour 1 can white beans and its liquid into a blender. Add the heavy cream, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil and purée until smooth. Drain and rinse the remaining can of beans and transfer it to the skillet along with the bean purée. Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Mix the panko with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl. Add the Parmesan, lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss to coat. Sprinkle evenly over the fennel-white bean mixture.
• Bake until bubbly and lightly golden on top, about 15 minutes. Broil until topping is browned in spots, 1 to 2 minutes, if desired. Top with reserved fennel fronds and serve.

BRAISED FENNEL AND WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large, heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. Add fennel and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and edges are brown, about 10 minutes.
• Add beans, stock, chopped oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has reduced by about half, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in vinegar and butter; remove from heat. Garnish with oregano leaves.

CREAM OF FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Cut the feathery tops off the fennel bulbs. Finely mince two tablespoons of the green tops and set aside. Discard the woody stems. Chop the fennel bulbs medium fine.
• Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. Add the onion and chopped fennel bulb, cover and cook over low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer 10 minutes longer.
• Puree the soup in a blender or a food processor. Return it to the saucepan and add the cream. Simmer for five minutes, then stir in the Pernod or Ricard and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Bring to a simmer. Serve the soup topped with a dusting of chopped fennel tops. If desired, float a teaspoon of caviar on top of each serving.

WHITE BEAN SOUP WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Heat a large pot and using enough olive oil to coat the bottom add the onions, garlic and fennal and saute about 10 minutes.
• Add the beans, stock, and bay leaf.
• Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer and cover.
• Cook until the beans are soft, approximately 1 1/2 hours.
• Add the potataoes and sausages and Tabasco and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and about ready to fall apart.
• Season again with salt and pepper and Tabasco.
• Serve and garnish with either a dab of unsalted butter or fruity, extra virgin olive oil and fennel fronds.