Oven-roasted fennel, onions and garlic cloves are combined with white beans in this velvety and hearty soup. A generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice adds a bright and refreshing spark of citrus.
I had a bunch of fennel bulbs on hand for another recipe that I was pondering – I still am -- but that concept was put on pause when I woke up to single digits outside and knew it was going to be more of a “soup sort of day”. I absolutely love the subtle anise flavor of fennel – it might be my second favorite vegetable next to anything alium. (And I particularly like that I don’t have to think too hard about a garnish for photography. The feathery fennel fronds make the perfect delicate garnish!)
Roasting the fennel alongside the onions in the oven caramelizes the vegetables without the hands-on time required when caramelizing on a cooktop. This happens when the dry heat removes moisture and draws out the natural sugars resulting in vegetables that are sweet with a mildly nutty concentration of flavors.
And there is nothing quite like the mellowing that happens when garlic is roasted. I used three cloves here, but this could easily stand up to a few more. The creamy base of white beans nearly invites them. Blending the white beans into a soup transform a broth-based soup into a hearty meal complete with protein, with the beans adding a natural creaminess without necessitating the addition of cream. I added cream here, but this stands on its own without.
Fennel Bulb
Fennel bulb is harvested from the base of the Florence fennel plant and is known for it's crisp and crunchy texture and its mild and sweet anise notes. It can be used raw -- in salads for example -- or cooked. It's popular in Mediterranean cuisine and is a great complement to seafood and citrus. (Check it out at The Savory Tart:
- Pear, Fennel & Arugula Salad with Lemon Tarragon Dressing
- Fennel, Leek and Artichoke Gratin
- Peach Bruschetta with Burrata, Prosciutto and Arugula Oil
- Focaccia Stuff with Sausage, Mushrooms and Fennel
Ingredients
- fennel bulbs
- yellow onion
- olive oil
- garlic cloves
- cannellini beans
- chicken stock or broth
- bay leaf
- sprigs thyme
- parmesan rind or grated parmesan cheese
- heavy whipping cream
- lemon
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Jump to RecipeInstructions
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Trim the fennel bulb, reserving the fronds. Cut the bulb and stalks into ⅓” slices and arrange the on a foil or parchment lined rimmed baking sheet along with the sliced onion and the garlic cloves.
Drizzle the fennel, onion and garlic cloves with the olive oil and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt.
Roast just until the vegetables are fork-tender and just starting to brown, about 25 minutes.
Transfer the fennel and onion to a large soup pot. Peel the garlic and add to the pot.
Add the white beans, chicken stock, thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf and transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. (Or leave the mixture in the pot and blend with an immersion blender.)
Return the purée to the soup pot, stir in the cream and lemon juice, and warm over medium heat. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.
Ladle the warm soup into bowls and top with chopped fennel fronds and a grating of lemon zest.
What is the Maillard Reaction: There is a name for the science behind the process of browning foods -- the Maillard Reaction. It is what happens when food is browned -- there are other things that go on as well, producing not just a color, but flavors and aromas -- much like the method used to roast the fennel, onions and garlic in my roasted fennel and white bean soup.
More scientifically, it rearranges amino acids and naturally occurring sugars and is fundamental in producing the flavors that we might take for granted in cooked food. If you are looking for more information on the Maillard Reaction, Modernist Cuisine has a thorough overview.
Substitutions
- White Beans: Any variety of white beans will work here including Great Northern, cannellini or butter beans.
- Dried Thyme: If you don’t have fresh thyme sprigs add a ½ teaspoon dried thyme when you add the bay leaf.
- Rosemary: Instead of fresh thyme, use a sprig of fresh rosemary instead. (Just remember to remove it before adding to the blender!)
- Make it Vegetarian: Substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
- Gluten Free: With beans as a creamy thickener – and a protein – this is naturally gluten free.
- Make it Vegan: Substitute chicken broth for vegetable broth, leave out the cream and use 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast or 2 tablespoons vegan cream cheese instead of the parmesan cheese.Lettuce - instead of ice berg lettuce, you can use romaine lettuce or spinach
Variations
- Roasted Fennel and Ham: For an even heartier soup, add 1-½ cups of diced cooked ham. It complements fennel beautifully
- Roasted Fennel and Italian Sausage: Brown a pound of sweet or mild Italian sausage, drain and reserve. Add the sausage back into the blended soup.
- Lemony Roasted Fennel and Chicken: Add 1-½ cups shredded rotisserie chicken and and two extra tablespoons of lemon juice to the blended soup. Oh so good!
- Lemony Roasted Fennel and Shrimp: Add 12 ounces cleaned medium shrimp and two extra tablespoons of lemon juice to the blended soup and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the shrimp are cooked through.
Equipment
- soup pot or stock pot
- baking sheet
- blender, food processor or immersion blender
Storage
Store soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for us to 4 days.
This freezes well. Store the roasted fennel and white bean soup in a airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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Roasted Fennel and White Bean Soup
Equipment
- soup pot or stock pot
- blender, food processor or immersion blender
- baking sheet
Ingredients
- 2 fresh fennel bulbs fronds reserved
- 1 large yellow onion peeled and sliced in ⅓” rounds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt
- 3 whole garlic cloves
- 14.5 ounce can cannellini beans
- 4 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 1 parmesan rind or ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- Juice and zest from ½ lemon
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Trim the fennel bulb, reserving the fronds. Cut the bulb and stalks into ⅓” slices and arrange the on a foil or parchment lined rimmed baking sheet along with the sliced onion and the garlic cloves.
- Drizzle the fennel, onion and garlic cloves with the olive oil, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt, and roast just until the vegetables are fork-tender and just starting to brown, about 25 minutes.
- Transfer the fennel and onion to a large soup pot. Peel the garlic and add to the pot. Add the white beans, chicken stock, thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf and transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. (Or leave the mixture in the pot and blend with an immersion blender.)
- Return the purée to the soup pot, stir in the cream and lemon juice, and warm over medium heat. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.
- Ladle the warm soup into bowls and top with chopped fennel fronds and a grating of lemon zest.
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