Creamy Fennel & Potato Soup

For our latest Supper Club fennel was the theme and this was good news to us. We love the taste of fennel but rarely end of up cooking with it. Sometimes we just need a reason.

And one of the things that keeps us committed to our longstanding Supper Club once a month, besides the great friendships that have come from it, are the opportunities the themes bring to cook dishes with ingredients and cuisines that are not on our usual rotation.

Not that Fennel is some exotic, hard to find ingredient it's just one that we don't  typically eat without a specific recipe. Not sure why, maybe we'll have to work on that.

But this soup could easily make it onto our Winter comfort soup rotation. One of our favorite soups to pick up at our local Metropolitan Market is their Potato Leek Soup. But this soup topped with some crispy bacon could easily take it's place.

The recipe came from Epicurious and the reviews for the recipe suggested two tweaks that we followed; 1) toast the fennel seeds and ground them in a mortar pedestal, and 2) top the soup with crumbled bacon.
WE HIGHLY SUGGEST FOLLOWING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS. One they both make your kitchen smell wonderful and two they really add some complexity to flavor of the soup.

The recipe starts out pretty simply with sauteing onion, potato and fennel. These fresh, pre-peeled and diced onions are one of the best products to be found. I love what a time saver they are let alone the tears they save.

After adding broth and cooking awhile....

 you then puree the soup in a blender once all of the vegetables are tender.

Once blended you put the soup back in the dutch oven and add the tarragon infused cream mixture.

Ladle into bowls, add some crumbled, crispy bacon and a fennel fronds and voila this creamy, fennel and potato soup is ready to eat and absolutely delicious. 

RECIPE:

Creamy Fennel & Potato Soup (adapted from Epicurious)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons fennel seed

6 cups coarsely chopped cored fresh fennel bulbs (from about 4 large), fronds reserved

2 medium onions, chopped

8 ounces white-skinned potatoes, peeled, diced

4 cups (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth

2 teaspoons (or more) fresh lemon juice

1 cup whipping cream

1 teaspoon fennel seeds, finely crushed

3/4 teaspoon dried tarragon

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Place fennel seed in saute' pan over low medium heat. Heat until slightly brown and fragrant. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add fennel bulbs, onions, and potatoes; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until slightly softened, about 8 minutes. Add 4 cups broth and 2 teaspoons lemon juice; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly.

Meanwhile, bring cream, fennel seeds, and tarragon to boil in heavy small saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 20 minutes so that flavors blend.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to same pot. Stir in cream mixture. Simmer until flavors blend, thinning with more broth if desired, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and more lemon juice, if desired. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Chill until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm over medium heat, stirring occasionally.)

Ladle soup into 8 bowls. Garnish with reserved fennel fronds and serve.