Green Fennel Soup
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This healthy soup is the veggie-packed meal our entire family of all ages enjoys (very kiddo approved). Being one of the healthiest, nutrient-dense dish I feed my family, I’m glad it’s also absolutely delicious. You will never guess it’s loaded with greens, or contains something unusual in it like fennel. With a base of homemade bone broth, this is a great go-to soup. Especially if you’re feeling unwell or just want to boost your immune system!
Adapting this recipe from one I found by Kay Chun, I have been making it for years now, always slightly different from the original. Making a larger batch at a time allows me to have a stock of this in the freezer. I always make this using homemade chicken bone broth (or turkey broth, if I have it from the holidays). I have also tried various mixes of different greens over the years, it’s very versatile. My version of “Creamy Fennel & Greens Soup” goes by “Green Soup” by our kiddos.
Because we eat this soup on a regular basis, I especially love it when we need a “meatless” night. When we are fighting off an illness, it is especially handy. This is because it is so packed with nutrients from the greens and bone broth.
Green Fennel Soup
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Lunch
Dinner
Cuisine
American
Author:
Nicole Bimber
Servings
8
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
60 minutes
The delicious, kiddo-approved, veggie packed, nutrient dense soup that the entire family enjoys. Serve with fresh sourdough bread and lots of salted butter for a well-rounded lunch or dinner!
Ingredients
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2Tb extra virgin olive oil
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2Tb unsalted grass-fed butter (can sub olive oil for dairy-free)
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1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
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2 fennel bulbs, roughly chopped (optional: remove stems and finely chop for garnish)
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2lbs dark, leafy greens (any mixture of collards, kale, beet greens, etc.)
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12 cups bone broth (chicken or turkey)
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6 cups baby spinach or chopped swiss chard
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2Tb lemon juice
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1 cup raw heavy cream (use full-fat canned coconut milk for dairy-free)
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salt and pepper
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fennel fonds (reserved from bulbs above), for garnish
Directions
Heat oil and butter in large/heavy stock pot over medium heat, until foam subsides (if including butter).
Add chopped fennel and onion, 1 1/2 tsp sea salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until soft and lightly browned, about 7-8 minutes.
Add leafy greens (NOT the spinach/swiss chard) and broth to pot and give a nice stir. Increase heat and cover to bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer for 20 minutes, covered, until greens are tender.
Stir in spinach/swiss chard and cook, uncovered just until wilted, about 1-5 minutes.
Purée soup in batches in a blender (preferably one that can emulsify) using caution as soup will be very hot, until smooth. Return to pot on low heat. *Stop here and cool to freeze if freezer cooking this meal, it freezes perfectly at this point and you can add your lemon juice, heavy cream, and added salt once thawed and re-heated.
Stir in lemon juice and heavy cream and allow to reheat over low heat, if needed. Taste, and season with more salt if necessary and serve with fresh baked bread and butter! Garnish with reserved fennel fonds, if using.
Recipe Note
Can easily be halved, or doubled, to fit your family size/preference. I personally love to double and freeze this recipe to have ready on hand in our freezer for busy nights to avoid eating out.
1 comment
Yum!! My kids haven’t tried it yet and I’m pretty sure my 4 year old is going to say something hilarious when he sees it… But my husband and I thought it was great. The seasonings are all perfect and I didn’t need to add anything else. The ratio of liquid to vegetables is perfect for a puréed soup. I made it simple and tossed in 2 lbs of frozen chopped collard greens and used frozen chopped spinach so I wouldn’t have to chop fresh greens. Served it with homemade artisan crusty bread (warmed and slathered in butter) made from 100% freshly milled hard red wheat.