Tami at Running With Tweezers is hosting her annual Soup Challenge in honour of her late Mother. Here is my humble contribution:
Roasted fennel & Cider soup
I was attracked by using all of the fennel, including the seeds in the recipe. The result was as expected: fantastic, even the boys liked it – without the brandy. While roasting the vegetables a terrific smell came from the kitchen.
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| -========= | REZKONV-Recipe – RezkonvSuite v1.4 |
| Title: | Roasted fennel & Cider soup |
| Categories: | Soup |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 Servings |
Ingredients
| 2 | large | Fennel bulbs,including the feathery leaves, for | |
| — serving, about 850 grams | |||
| 2 | large | Red onions | |
| Olive oil, for drizzling | |||
| 1 | bunch | Lemon thyme | |
| 1 | tablesp. | Fennel seeds | |
| 1 | tablesp. | Coriander seeds | |
| 300 | ml | Dry cider, 1/2 pt | |
| 1 | liter | Vegetable stock, good-quality, 1 3/4 pints | |
| 300 | ml | Double cream, 1/2 pt | |
| Good glug Somerset apple brandy |
Source
| Good Food Magazine, October 2007, p.168 |
| Edited *RK* 09/05/2007 by | |
| Ulrike Westphal |
Directions
This light, creamy soup seems to sum up the flavours of autumn, It can be made at least a day in advance.
1. Heat oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Trim the feathery leaves off the fennel and reserve a few for garnish. Trim the fennel bulbs, then cut each one into 8 wedges. Cut the onions into similarsize pieces. Put the fennel and onion in a roasting tin and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle the lemon thyme, fennel seeds, coriander seeds and a twist of freshly ground black pepper over the vegetables. Roast for 40-45 mins or until they have softened, the edges caramelised and golden.
2. Pour the cider over the vegetables and return to the oven for a further 15 mins, until the cider has reduced, with almost all of it absorbed by the veg. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly, then spoon the roast vegetables and juices into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth
3. Transfer the vegetable puree to a large saucepan and pour in the stock. Bring the mixture to the boil and simmer over a medium heat until reduced by about a third. Cool slightly before straining the soup through a fine sieve into the rinsed-out pan. Stir in the cream, then reheat gently and season to taste. Add the apple brandy just before serving. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish with a sprinkling of chopped fennel leaves.
: PREP 30 mins
:COOK 1 hr 35 mins
:Moderately easy
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