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Fennel Soup

Time 1 hour
Yields Makes 8 cups
Fennel Soup
(Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
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Sometimes a low-fat vegetable soup made with little fat or cream lacks flavor. But try sauteing the vegetables before adding them to the soup pot. You’ll wind up with a full-bodied soup--one you’d swear was fattening.

It’s important when cooking light to use just a little oil for sauteing. In this recipe, nonstick cooking spray takes the place of some of the oil.

Boost the soup’s flavor, too, by choosing the right vegetables. Add leek and fennel, both strong in flavor, to the carrot, celery and onion.

A combination of chicken broth and water also adds flavor, but you can make this soup vegetarian by using vegetable broth instead.

For a final touch, a few teaspoons of an anise-flavored liqueur at the end of cooking bring out the anise flavor of the soup.

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1

Spray a large saucepot with nonstick cooking spray. Heat the saucepot over medium heat, then add the oil. Add the leek, onion, carrot, celery and fennel. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, water, potatoes and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 30 minutes.

2

Remove the bay leaf. Puree half of the soup and return it to the saucepot. Stir in the liqueur. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and sprinkle the top with the chopped fennel.