Creamy Fennel And White Bean Soup With Bacon Recipes

CREAMY WHITE BEAN AND FENNEL CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Trim the fennel. Cut it in half lengthwise and slice it crosswise, about 1/4-inch thick (reserve about 1/4 cup roughly chopped fennel fronds). Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium. Add the sliced fennel, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but still retaining a little bite, about 12 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, pour 1 can white beans and its liquid into a blender. Add the heavy cream, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil and purée until smooth. Drain and rinse the remaining can of beans and transfer it to the skillet along with the bean purée. Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Mix the panko with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl. Add the Parmesan, lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss to coat. Sprinkle evenly over the fennel-white bean mixture.
• Bake until bubbly and lightly golden on top, about 15 minutes. Broil until topping is browned in spots, 1 to 2 minutes, if desired. Top with reserved fennel fronds and serve.

POTATO, FENNEL, AND BACON SOUP

Steps:

• Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until barely tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place bacon in a deep skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon slices on paper towels and reserve about 2 tablespoons of the drippings in the skillet. Drain potatoes.
• Melt butter in the skillet with the bacon drippings. Add fennel; cook and stir over medium heat until browned, about 12 minutes. Crumble the bacon and add to the pan along with vegetable stock, potatoes, and Chinese five-spice. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer 1 1/2 cups of the soup to a blender. Cover and hold lid down with a potholder; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Return to the pot and continue simmering until flavors combine, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Season with five-spice, salt, and pepper.

CARAMELIZED FENNEL AND WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Slice the fennel bulbs thinly; chop the fennel fronds and set them aside to use later.
• In a large heavy sauce pot over medium temperature, heat the olive oil; add the sliced fennel bulb, thyme, and butter.
• Saute, stirring occasionally, until fennel is golden brown and caramelized, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add the white wine, garlic, stock, and small white beans and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
• (At this point, if you'd like a creamy soup you can take out half of the soup and puree it in a blender, then add it back into the pot.).
• Season soup to taste with sea salt and white pepper.
• Garnish with a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a bit of chopped fennel frond, and serve.
• Note: more beans can be added to the soup, if you like (a couple of cups worth), or you can use other kinds of beans or a combination. And yes, the amounts are correct in the recipe - it's a gallon of stock. This makes a lotta soup!

WHITE BEAN FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute onion and fennel in oil until tender. Add the broth, beans, tomatoes, thyme, pepper and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until fennel is tender. , Discard bay leaf. Add spinach; cook 3-4 minutes longer or until spinach is wilted.

CREAMY FENNEL & WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven over medium, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from the pot.
• Add the onions, fennel, garlic, and ground fennel to the pot and cook over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of the beans and set aside. Add the remaining beans to the pot along with the broth, rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high. Cover, reduce to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Remove and discard the rosemary sprig. Let the soup cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Transfer about 1/3 of the soup to a blender. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and puree until smooth. Transfer to a large saucepan, then repeat with the remaining soup and oil, working in batches. Add the reserved beans and heat over medium-low, stirring, until the soup is heated through, about 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve drizzled with oil, sprinkled with the bacon and chives, with lemon wedges on the side.