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Recipe: Fennel and onion soup

(Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
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Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

Total time: 2 hours, 25 minutes

Servings: 4 to 6

Light vegetable stock

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups finely diced leeks, white part only (about 2 to 3)

1 cup finely diced carrots (about 3 medium)

1 cup finely diced celery (about 2 stalks)

3 whole cloves garlic, peeled

6 peppercorns

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs parsley

2 sprigs fennel

1 sprig thyme

1. Heat the oil in a tall 8-quart stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, carrots and celery and cook until tender, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add the garlic, peppercorns, bay leaf, parsley, fennel and thyme. Add 10 cups cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat, cover and cook at a hard simmer 35 minutes.

3. Remove the pot from the heat. Strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer, gently pressing the vegetables to extract liquid. Discard the vegetables. You should have 9 cups of stock.

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Soup

2 fennel bulbs (about 1 1/2 pounds)

2 large onions (about 1 1/2 pounds)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup light dry white wine

9 cups light vegetable stock

2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste

2 tablespoons Armagnac, optional

8 ( 1/4 -inch thick) slices baguette

1 large clove garlic, halved

1. Trim the feathery fronds and stems from the fennel bulbs. Chop 1 tablespoon of the fronds and reserve. Cut the bulbs in half lengthwise and remove the cores. Thinly slice on a mandoline.

2. Peel the onions, then very thinly slice on a mandoline.

3. Heat the oil in a heavy 5 1/2 -quart sauce pot and saute the fennel, onions and sugar over high heat for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the vegetables are very tender and lightly browned, 30 to 40 minutes.

4. Add the wine and simmer 1 to 2 minutes or until the wine is almost evaporated. Add the vegetable stock and salt. Cover and simmer 20 minutes to blend flavors.

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5. Add the Armagnac, if using, and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Stir in the reserved chopped fennel fronds. Season to taste with salt.

6. Put the baguette slices on a baking sheet. Broil until golden brown and crisp, about 45 seconds to 1 minute. Rub each slice with the cut garlic clove, then turn and brown the other side, about 20 seconds. Serve the soup with the garlic toasts on the side.

Each of 6 servings: 216 calories; 4 grams protein; 27 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams fiber; 10 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 937 mg. sodium.

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