Roasted Fennel Soup Recipes

ROAST CARROT & FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5.
• Peel the carrots and onion, then trim and slice along with the fennel (reserving any herby tops, to garnish). Place in a roasting dish, toss with 2 tablespoons of oil.
• Roast for 20 minutes, then add the unpeeled garlic cloves. Stir everything thoroughly and return to the oven for 20 minutes more, or until the vegetables are soft and browned.
• Remove and discard the papery skins from the garlic cloves. Put the roasted veg in a large pan with the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 15 minutes, then liquidise with a stick blender, until completely smooth.
• To make the flatbreads, toast the fennel seeds in a dry frying pan for 30 seconds or so, until fragrant. Crush roughly with a pestle and mortar, then pour into a bowl with the flour and ½ teaspoon of sea salt.
• Dissolve the yeast and sugar in 100ml of hand-hot (not boiling) water, then add it to the flour mixture with the oil and 60 to 75ml of hot water and mix until you have a soft, but not sticky, dough. Knead for 5 minutes.
• Pop the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with oiled clingfilm and set aside to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Then, with oiled hands, divide the dough into 8 and roughly roll each one into a thin oval. Stack them up, separating them with baking paper to stop them from sticking together.
• Heat a griddle pan until it's smoking hot and add the flatbreads (you'll need to do this in batches). Cook for a couple of minutes on each side, until charred and puffed up. Keep warm in a tea towel while cooking the rest.
• Gently reheat the soup, and serve with a swirl of cream, a scattering of herby fennel tops (if you have them) and the hot flatbreads.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND FENNEL SOUP WITH CITRUS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine butternut squash, fennel, onion, and garlic on the baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and salt and toss until well combined.
• Roast vegetables in the preheated oven until soft and lightly browned, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Puree 1/2 of the vegetable mixture in a blender with 1/2 of the broth until smooth. Pour mixture into a large saucepan set over low heat. Puree the rest of the vegetables and broth; add to the saucepan.
• Stir in marmalade and pumpkin and heat through over low heat. Stir in cream before serving. Season with salt and pepper.

CARROT FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in lowest position.
• Chop enough fennel fronds to measure 1 tablespoon and reserve. Discard stalks and remaining fronds. Slice bulbs 1/4 inch thick and toss with carrots, onion, garlic, 3 tablespoons oil, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread in a 4-sided sheet pan and roast, stirring occasionally, until browned and tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Blend half of vegetables in a blender with broth until very smooth. Transfer to a medium saucepan. Repeat with remaining vegetables and water. Thin to desired consistency with extra water and simmer 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, finely grind fennel seeds in grinder and stir into remaining 2 tablespoons oil. 3Serve soup drizzled with fennel oil and sprinkled with reserved fronds.

ROASTED FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Trim fennel bulbs. Halve bulbs lengthwise; slice lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces.
• On a rimmed baking sheet, toss fennel with oil; season with salt and pepper. Roast, turning once, until browned, 25 to 30 minutes.

ROASTED TOMATO AND FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat up the oven to 200° C / 390° F and grab a large baking dish or tray. Use a larger tray (ignore the first photo - I used it as it looked nice) and ensure there is a bit of space around each piece of fennel to get more caramelisation.
• Coat (or brush if wanting to use less oil) fennel, onion, cherry tomatoes and garlic cloves in olive oil and drizzle the onions in balsamic vinegar. Scatter with thyme leaves, sprinkle with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cumin and chilli if using.
• Roast for about 25-30 minutes (flipping onto the other side half way through) until fennel is soft and caramelised on both sides.
• While the veggies are roasting, place squashed canned tomatoes and 1 cup of stock in a large pot. Allow it to come to boil and simmer, covered until tomatoes fall apart.
• Transfer all the roasted veggies (deglaze the pan with hot water and add that too) to a blender with some stock, simmered tinned tomatoes and a jarred pepper (if using). Blend until smooth.
• Transfer to back to the pot you used to cook canned tomatoes, warm up and season to taste, with more salt, pepper, balsamic or sweetener if needed. Dilute with a bit more stock if needed.
• Serve with swirl of cashew cream on top and homemade croutons or spiced chickpeas for more substance .
• Cut the bread into an even dice. I went for small 0.5 cm / 0.2" cubes.
• If your bread is fresh, like mine was, toast it on a dry stainless steel pan first until dry and barely toasted. Otherwise the croutons will be greasy.
• Once the cubes of bread are dry, remove them from the pan and wipe the pan with a clean kitchen towel.
• Return the pan to the stove and heat up the oil slowly. Once the oil gets hot, throw the bread cubes in and immediately coat them in the hot oil.
• Allow the bread to toast slowly in the pan, tossing it around from time to time. Season with a good pinch of salt and set aside for the soup.

ROASTED-POTATO FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, until cooked through.
• Saute the onions and fennel with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large stockpot on medium heat until translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the roasted potatoes (including the scrapings from the pan) and the chicken stock. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, until all of the vegetables are very soft. Add the heavy cream and allow the soup to cool slightly. Pass the soup through the largest disk of a food mill or chop coarsely in batches in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Taste for salt and pepper. Reheat and serve hot.

THE BEST ROASTED FENNEL

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 475 degrees F.
• Pick 2 tablespoons of the tender green fronds from the tops of the fennel bulbs and set aside. Cut the remaining top and bottom from each fennel bulb, then cut the bulb in half lengthwise through the core. Use the tip of the knife to cut an upside-down "V" on the bottom of each bulb to remove most of the core, leaving just enough so the bulb stays intact. Cut each half through the core into wedges, about 1/4 inch thick.
• Add the fennel bulb, thyme, garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes and 3/4 teaspoon salt to a large bowl and toss until evenly coated. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet.
• Roast in the oven until the fennel is very tender and lightly browned in spots, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, top with the reserved fennel fronds and serve with the lemon wedges.

ROASTED CARROT-FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F with rack in lowest position.
• Chop enough fennel fronds to measure 1 T and reserve. Discard stalks and remaining fronds. Slice bulbs 1/4" thick and toss with carrots, onion, garlic, 3 T olive oil, sugar. salt, and pepper. Spread in a 10" x 13" baking pan that has been lined with parchment paper and roast, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are browned and tender, appx. 30-45 minutes.
• When vegetables are done, remove from oven and cool slightly. Place vegetables in a large soup kettle and add vegetable broth. Using a hand blender, blend vegetables and broth together until very smooth. (Alternately, you can blend the vegetables and broth in a blender in batches, and transfer to a soup kettle when blended.) Thin with water if needed.
• Over medium heat, bring soup just to boiling, and then lower heat to keep warm until ready to serve.
• Meanwhile, finely grind fennel seeds in a spice or coffee grinder and stir into remaining 2 T olive oil.
• Serve soup drizzled with fennel oil and sprinkled with reserved chopped fronds.
• (Note: fennel oil can be made up to two days ahead and kept at room temperature until ready to serve.).

ROASTED-POTATO FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, until cooked through.
• Saute the chopped onions and chopped fennel with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large stockpot on medium heat until translucent, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add the roasted potatoes (including scrapings from the pan) and the stock.
• Cover and bring to a boil.
• Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, until all the vegetables are very soft.
• Add the heavy cream and allow the soup to cook slightly.
• Using a stick blender, puree the soup in the pot (this can also be done in a regular blender, food processor, or food mill).
• Taste for salt and pepper.
• Reheat and serve hot.