Fennel Soup

Ingredients

500 g fennel bulbs - see Instructions for preparation

1 onion

1 garlic clove

1 celery stalk

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

1.76 ounces (50 g) baby spinach handful

1 tablespoon butter regular or plant-based

1 tablespoon olive oil

2½ cups (600 ml) vegetable stock

Sea salt and white pepper to taste

Method

To prepare the fennel - rinse the bulbs thoroughly.  Cut off any roots if present and cut off the green stalks 1-2 inches above the bulb. You do not need to cut out the core, but I did. Now weigh the fennel. Cut the bulb lengthwise and then into halves. Then slice each part quite thinly. Once Fennel bulbs are prepared use them immediately as fennel discolours quickly.

Ingredients	Fennel washed and sliced	chopped onion, celery and garlic

Wash and peel the onion and chop it finely. Wash the celery stalk and chop it finely and also chop the garlic finely.

Take a large pan and add in the oil and butter and fennel seeds and cook gently until the butter has melted.

Butter Olive oil and Fennel seeds	All chopped vegetables added	Stock added and brought to a boil

Add the onion, garlic, celery and fennel, season lightly, stir and cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes stirring often.

Cover, lower the heat and 'sweat' the vegetable mixture for about 10 minutes or until the fennel is tender, stirring often (do not let the vegetables brown).

Add most of the stock, cover and bring to the boil then lower the heat and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and continue cooking for another minute. Cook the soup very briefly once you've added the spinach so it retains its bright green colour.

Spinach Added	Soup being blended

Remove from the heat and puree the soup.  Top up with the remaining stock if needed, Use hot stock - the soup will cook faster, adjust the seasoning and serve.

NB: Fennel soup is best served hot - you could serve it with fresh chives, dill, grated parmesan cheese, yogurt, garlic bread or croutons. This soup could be frozen up to 3 months.