Triple Whammy Saffroned Tomato Fennel Soup Recipes

TOMATO-FENNEL SOUP WITH BRIE TOASTS

Steps:

• Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add fennel, onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low. Partly cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in garlic and chile powder; cook 1 minute. Stir in Pernod and cook until almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes.
• Pour in tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups water and the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook gently, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the black pepper. Purée soup in batches using a blender or immersion blender until smooth.
• Transfer soup back to pot over medium heat; simmer until slightly thickened, 5 to 10 minutes more. Scrape down sides and bottom of pot occasionally. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread bread slices on a large baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 10 minutes.
• Toast fennel seeds in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant and lightly colored, 2 to 3 minutes. Melt in remaining 1 tablespoon butter.
• Adjust oven temperature to broil and position rack 6 inches from heat. Brush toasts with fennel-seed butter and top with Brie. Return to oven and broil until bubbly and golden, 1 to 3 minutes (check every minute or so to see that they are not burning). Ladle soup into bowls and top with a cheese crouton. Garnish with fennel fronds.

TOMATO FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook and stir fennel, onion, celery, and garlic in the hot oil until tender, about 10 minutes.
• Pour tomatoes and chicken broth over vegetable mixture and simmer for 4 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and add basil and parsley. Cool soup slightly.
• Pour soup into a blender no more than half-full. Cover and hold lid down; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Puree in batches until smooth.

TRIPLE-WHAMMY SAFFRONED TOMATO-FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-low. Add onion, fennel, and garlic; cover and cook about 10 minutes. In a large metal spoon or small pan, heat saffron over low heat until dry, about 10 seconds. Grind to a powder with the back of a spoon and steep in 1 tbsp boiling water to release flavor, about 1 minute. Add wine and spoonful of saffron to pan, then stir in shredded basil. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low and simmer 1 to 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, their juice, and 1 cup water. Return to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, about 30 minutes. Garnish with fennel fronds and chopped basil.

TOMATO AND FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the fennel and cook, stirring, until it starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the celery, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes longer to allow the flavors to blend together. Carefully add the Pernod. (Caution! It could flame up.) Add the dill, celery seeds, and pepper. Add the vegetable stock and tomatoes, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let simmer for 40 minutes.
• Remove the pot from the heat. Process the soup, in batches, in a blender or food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade until smooth. Add the butter, if desired, and stir until melted. Taste and check the seasoning, adding salt if needed.

TOMATO-FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• In 4-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook fennel, onion and garlic in oil about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender. Stir in tomatoes, broth, salt and pepper, breaking up tomatoes with spoon. Heat to boiling.
• Reduce heat. Cover; simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
• Carefully pour half of the mixture into blender. Cover; blend on high speed about 30 seconds or until smooth. Return to saucepan. Repeat with remaining mixture. Keep warm over low heat until serving.