| 1 | Recipe by: annie somerville in "fields of greens" preparation time: 0:15 note: if you are not making your own stock from scratch, increase the anise seed and fennel seed to be ground by ?teaspoon each, and add 2 cups of chopped tomatoes when you add your stock made from veggie broth powder or other means. |
| 2 | Make the stock and keep it warm over low heat. |
| 3 | In a non-stick soup pot, water-saute the onions with ?teaspoon salt, the anise, and the ground fennel. |
| 4 | When the onions are soft, add the garlic, carrots, and sliced fennel. |
| 5 | Cover the pan and cook the vegetables until they are very tender, about 5 minutes. |
| 6 | Remove the lid, add the sherry, and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until the pan is nearly dry. |
| 7 | Add the chopped tomatoes (if not already in the stock), tomato puree, 1 quart stock, and ?teaspoon salt; cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes. |
| 8 | Season to taste with salt and pepper. |
| 9 | Add a few pinches of sugar if the soup tastes too acidic. |
| 10 | Serve with garlic croutons and freshly grated parmesan cheese. |
| 11 | Garlic croutons: preheat the oven to 375°F. |
| 12 | Lay the slices of baguette on a baking sheet, spray them lightly with cooking spray (optional), and sprinkle the garlic on them generously, adding more to taste. |
| 13 | I found that pre-chopped garlic from a jar has enough oil in it that it is perfect to spread on and still use the absolute minimum oil to achieve the desired result. |
| 14 | Bake for about 8 minutes, until the croutons are crisp and lightly browned. |
| 15 | Serving suggestion: place one crouton in the bottom of a shallow soup bowl, fill the bowl with soup, and top with 2 or 3 croutons, garlic-side up. |
| 16 | Ðððð?notes: (adapted by curtis jackson) a delicious soup for early fall, made with late harvest tomatoes and the first fennel of the season. |
| 17 | The acidity of the tomatoes will retard the cooking of the vegetables, so be sure they"re very tender before adding them. |
| 18 | Include the fennel trimmings in the stock; they"ll enrich the flavor. |
| 19 | Curtis sez: "not only is this soup absolutely delicious, but it is a one-pot meal that can be on the table in about an hour from start to finish. |
| 20 | Be careful with the size range of fennel bulbs - on my first go at this recipe my 2 fennel bulbs yielded about 4 cups instead of 2 and i had to freeze a half. |
| 21 | Also, you might try adding a lot of black pepper (about a tablespoon) to make a nicely peppery version of this soup." makes 8 cups per serving (excluding unknown items): 257 calories; 5g fat (18% calories from fat); 8g protein; 40g carbohydrate; 2mg cholesterol; 2264mg sodium |
