We do a weekly produce delivery, and while you can pick and choose what goes into the box, I prefer to go in blind and get creative with what we receive. Often there are ingredients I’ve never cooked with, or never eaten before and it can be a fun challenge. It can be a total disaster, but what’s the fun of cooking if you don’t screw things up once in a while. I had never really cooked with fennel before and figured a soup was a good way to test it out, but have other ingredients to fall back on. I’m sure there are other things you can do with fennel, but in my mind it’s now a pretty perfect soup ingredient.
Ingredients
- 1lb crumbled savory sausage
- Small fennel bulb (thinly sliced) + shoots
- Small onion
- 1 carrot
- 1-2 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 2-3 small potatoes (chopped)
- 1 summer squash (chopped)
- 2 cups tomato (diced)
- Olive oil
- 4-5 cups chicken broth
- 1-2 Bay leafs
- Fresh herbs
- Salt + Pepper
Method
- Start by making a base by dicing the onion, carrot and shoots from the fennel bulb. Save the wispy ends of the fennel to add in later.
- Heat a stock pot over medium, coat the bottom in olive oil when it’s hot, then throw in the vegetables and stir. Hit it with some salt and pepper.
- While it sautés, mince the garlic, thinly slice the fennel bulb, and chop the potato and squash.
- When things starts to brown and get soft, add the fennel bulb and stir.
- When the fennel starts to soften (4-6 minutes) add in the sausage. Stir and sauté until browned. Pinch in some more salt and pepper.
- Add in the tomatoes, squash, potatoes, bay leaf, garlic, and chicken broth. You want to make sure everything is covered, but go less or more depending on if you prefer a thinner or heartier soup.
- Bring to a boil, then cover and drop heat to simmer.
- Simmer for around 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the bay leafs and toss in the wispy ends of the fennel.
- Taste and salt and pepper as needed.
This soup is great right out of the pot, and get’s better in the fridge over the next few days as the flavors continue to get to know each other. Serve with a good bread and a side of butter and you’re all set.
A note on leftovers- this soup is also amazing the next day as an omelette filler. Just use a slotted spoon to get as much stuff and as little broth as possible then sauté to steam out some of the remaining liquid. Set it aside, and toss some butter into a pan, and pour in a couple whisked eggs. Let the eggs set, then add the soup to half of the omelet. Fold, slide into a plate, and top with feta cheese. Crazy good.