Page title and description

Soups & stews
Cream of fennel soup
Ingredients
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and chopped (reserve the fronds for a garnish)
- large lump of butter
- 1 glass of white wine
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- 500ml chicken stock
- splash of Pernod (optional)
- 100ml double cream
- salt and pepper
Method
Prep time:
5 min
PT5M
Cooking time:
1h
10 min
PT1H10M
-
Step 1
Sweat the chopped onion and fennel in the butter very slowly, covered, for about 30 minutes. -
Step 2
Stir occasionally and make sure that they aren't sticking; by the time you are finished they should be very soft. Add the wine and simmer for 5 minutes, uncovered. -
Step 3
Add the fennel seeds and the stock and gently simmer, covered, for a further 30 minutes. -
Step 4
Liquidise and, if you want a very smooth soup, pass through a fine sieve. If using the Pernod, heat in a small pan and carefully flame with a match. -
Step 5
Allow the flames to die down, then stir into the soup with the cream. Reheat gently (do not boil after you have added the cream), and season.