Fennel Soup With Orange Crème Fraîche And Croutons Recipes

PEA & FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a large saucepan, add the fennel and onion and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add the chicken stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Add the peas and cook for 3 minutes, until the peas are tender. Off the heat, add the salt and pepper.
• Puree the soup in batches with a food processor fitted with a steel blade or with a stick blender. Pour the soup into a large bowl and repeat until all the soup is coarsely pureed. Whisk in the creme fraiche and taste for seasoning. Reheat the soup in the saucepan and serve hot with a drizzle of olive oil and some croutons on top.
• Heat the olive oil in a large (10-inch) saute pan until hot. Add the bread and cook over medium heat, tossing frequently, until the bread is evenly toasted and browned. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Yield: 2 cups

CARROT, FENNEL, AND ORANGE SOUP

Steps:

• In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook fennel bulb in butter over moderate heat, stirring, until softened and beginning to turn golden. Add carrots and garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add water and salt and simmer, covered, 20 minutes, or until carrots are very tender.
• In a blender purée mixture in batches with orange juice, sour cream, and salt and pepper to taste until smooth, transferring to another heavy saucepan. Heat soup, stirring, just until heated through (do not let boil).
• Serve soup garnished with chervil leaves or fennel fronds.

CREAM OF FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook onion until soft and translucent. Whisk in flour and stir until a paste forms, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk water and vegetable bouillon into the saucepan. Add fennel and bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until fennel is soft, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Puree soup with an immersion blender. Stir in cream. If soup is too thick, add more water as needed. Season with salt and pepper.
• Chop fennel fronds. Divide soup between 4 bowls and sprinkle with fennel fronds.

CREAM OF FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Cut the feathery tops off the fennel bulbs. Finely mince two tablespoons of the green tops and set aside. Discard the woody stems. Chop the fennel bulbs medium fine.
• Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. Add the onion and chopped fennel bulb, cover and cook over low heat until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer 10 minutes longer.
• Puree the soup in a blender or a food processor. Return it to the saucepan and add the cream. Simmer for five minutes, then stir in the Pernod or Ricard and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Bring to a simmer. Serve the soup topped with a dusting of chopped fennel tops. If desired, float a teaspoon of caviar on top of each serving.

FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat a nonstick pot over low heat. Add the onion, leeks, thyme, salt, pepper and 1/4 cup of the broth, cover the pan and cook over low heat until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the fennel, cover, and continue to cook until the fennel is tender, about 15 minutes. Add the remaining chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Cover, lower the heat and simmer gently for 25 minutes.
• Puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Strain it through a fine-mesh strainer. Return any of the puree that does not pass through the sieve to the blender, puree again and re-strain, repeating until all the soup has been used. The soup can be refrigerated at this point for up to 3 days.
• Just before serving, slowly bring the soup to a simmer, remove from the heat and whisk in the milk. Ladle into bowls. The soup can be garnished simply with the reserved fennel tops and chopped parsley. For a more festive -- and flavorful -- dish, add a dollop of red-pepper mousse.