Tomato-Fennel Soup With Brie Toasts
Updated March 2, 2017
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 90 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
7 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium fennel bulbs, cleaned and thinly sliced, fronds chopped and reserved
1 large onion, halved, peeled and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ teaspoon chile powder
3 tablespoons Pernod
2 28-ounce packages or cans chopped tomatoes packed in purée (such as Pomì)
1 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon black pepper
6 baguette slices
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
3 ounces Brie, thinly sliced
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
26 grams carbs; 51 milligrams cholesterol; 312 calories; 5 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 19 grams fat; 7 grams fiber; 898 milligrams sodium; 9 grams protein; 12 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add fennel, onion and ½ teaspoon salt. Toss to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low. Partly cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in garlic and chile powder; cook 1 minute. Stir in Pernod and cook until almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes.
- Step 2
Pour in tomatoes, 1 ½ cups water and the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook gently, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Season with 1 ½ teaspoons salt and the black pepper. Purée soup in batches using a blender or immersion blender until smooth.
- Step 3
Transfer soup back to pot over medium heat; simmer until slightly thickened, 5 to 10 minutes more. Scrape down sides and bottom of pot occasionally. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
- Step 4
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread bread slices on a large baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 10 minutes.
- Step 5
Toast fennel seeds in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant and lightly colored, 2 to 3 minutes. Melt in remaining 1 tablespoon butter.
- Step 6
Adjust oven temperature to broil and position rack 6 inches from heat. Brush toasts with fennel-seed butter and top with Brie. Return to oven and broil until bubbly and golden, 1 to 3 minutes (check every minute or so to see that they are not burning). Ladle soup into bowls and top with a cheese crouton. Garnish with fennel fronds.
Private Notes
Comments
HOW HAS THIS NOT RECEIVED MORE 5-STAR REVIEWS?!?! Hyperbole aside, this really is an amazing soup. I've honestly never had better tomato soup of any kind. As Denise mentioned, don't rush the process. Following the recipe will give you a fantastic end-result if you're patient enough to let it. I didn't have Pernod at the time, so I subsidized ouzo for a similar flavor. Having a great blender like a Vitamix that blends very smoothly and thoroughly helps too.
What a delicious soup even in the warm Caribbean weather. Don’t rush sweating the onions and fennel. I love how different this is from regular tomato soup with the licorice flavor from the Pernod and fennel. Used 36 ounces of good quality San Marzano tomatoes, homemade stock and only 1 cup of water. Smelled very good while cooking and expect the leftovers will be awesome after the flavors further develop. Will definitely make again.
This soup is delicious but credit for the ORIGINAL should be given to Sheila Lukins. It's in her "Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook" and I have been making it for YEARS so I know it well. Melissa has adapted slightly by reducing the butter, adding the chili powder, and cooking off the Pernod early vs stirring in at the end. My own adaption involves putting the soup through a food mill to remove particles of fennel, vs just blending it.
Fabulous! Made exactly as written. Very satisfying and elegant. Make sure that you take your time sweating down the onions and fennel. Low and slow - it really does make for great depth of flavor.
It appears than I’m in the minority that was unimpressed by this soup, unfortunately. The fennel and anise didn’t come through strongly enough to make you forget that you’re spooning up canned tomatoes. I think this can be much better if made with fresh tomatoes, garlic, carrot, onion, and fennel roasted for 90 min, then added to a pot with stock, seasonings, and Pernod at the end. Even out of season tomatoes would yield a better result when roasted rather than canned imo.
This soup is remarkable! It is so simple with such rich flavor! I use olive oil and veggie stock (vegans in the family) and have served with cracked wheat crackers or homemade whole grain bread or a crusty ciabatta. Add a green salad with a balsamic or red wine vinaigrette, and you have an elevated meal. It’s a go- to recipe I bring to new moms or sick loved ones. A family favorite, and everyone’s eyes light up if the weeklyCSA box includes fennel bulbs.