Despite the fact that fennel seed is used all over the world, I’ve always associated using the bulbous bits with Italian food. That’s why it seemed only natural to pair it and cannellini (white kidney beans) in this delicious, light tasting fennel and white bean soup.
While fennel seeds are widely used from the Mediterranean Sea to Asia, just about the entire plant can be eaten. The feathery fronds look similar to dill and are used as garnishes, eaten in salads or used to flavor a variety of foods both sweet and savory. The seeds are what gives Italian sausage its signature flavor and are a key ingredient in Chinese 5 Spice Powder. Rick loves to chew on candied fennel seeds. We make a regular trip to the Indian store to purchase them. (Wiki)
When sliced fresh, the bulb of the fennel has a crisp texture with a slight licorice flavor. I cut off any stalks, then cut the bulb into manageable chunks. The next step is to peel off or cut away any tough or badly discolored bits. The rest can be sliced, chopped or diced as required for the recipe. Like many foods, fennel changes character when cooked. The flavor becomes a little sweeter and more concentrated and the fennel itself softens.
Cannellini are white kidney beans. They are a little bit larger than navy or great northern beans all of which are interchangeable for the purposes of this soup and most recipes calling for white beans. White beans are versatile and worth cooking in batches when you have the time (here’s our method for cooking beans by the batch). Beans are also widely available in the canned vegetable aisle at the supermarket. You’ll need about 2 cups cooked or a single 15.5 ounce can for this soup.
Don’t feel like you have to make everything from scratch when all you’re looking for is something easy to make for lunch or a light dinner. I had the vegetable broth available, but used canned beans and canned diced tomatoes that were languishing in the pantry. On another day, I might use a soup base for the broth and add beans from the freezer and some diced tomatoes fresh from the garden. It’s just soup, after all.
As a finishing touch, I added a couple generous handfuls of the salad blend I had in the fridge. It was a mix of spinach, arugula, beet greens etc so I just put them in and turned the heat off. If you’d rather use a heartier green, like kale, throw them into the pot a little sooner to give them time to get tender before serving.
We enjoyed our fennel and white bean soup with cut up vegetables and fresh bread and butter.
Ingredients
- 1 bulb fennel sliced thinly
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 quarts vegetable broth 6 cups
- 2 cups cooked cannellini beans one 15.5 oz can, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups tomato seeded and chopped (one 15.5 oz can diced tomato)
- 2 cups loosely packed greens
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 - 2 teaspoons tamari or worcestershire sauce more or less (optional but adds a nice touch, especially if using vegetable broth)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the oil to a small dutch oven and saute the onions and fennel over medium heat until they soften and begin to change color.
- Add the beans, tomatoes, thyme, bay leaf and tamari and season with salt and pepper.
- Simmer for 20 - 30 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender.
- Add the greens sooner or later depending on how long they need to cook.
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I seldom cook with fennel but I’d love to give this soup a try! It looks delicious and I love cooking with beans!
Thank you for sharing this recipe…I love how much protein beans provide. This soup will be perfect for these upcoming chilly nights.
I love fennel! And it’s terrific in soup. This looks wonderful — thanks so much.
I usually roast it, but this soup was really nice. Thanks for dropping by, John 🙂