Caramelized Fennel And Bean Soup

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 fennel bulbs, sliced thinly, fennel fronds chopped and reserved
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme, to taste
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup dry wine
• 2 garlic cloves, minced, to taste
• 1 gallon vegetable stock or 1 gallon chicken stock
• 6 cups cooked small beans (from the can is fine)
• sea salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• extra virgin olive oil, for garnish

Recipe

• 1 slice the fennel bulbs thinly; chop the fennel fronds and set them aside to use later.
• 2 in a large heavy sauce pot over medium temperature, heat the olive oil; add the sliced fennel bulb, thyme, and butter.
• 3 saute, stirring occasionally, until fennel is golden brown and caramelized, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• 4 add the wine, garlic, stock, and small beans and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
• 5 (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.).
• 6 season soup to taste with sea salt and pepper.
• 7 garnish with a little drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a bit of chopped fennel frond, and serve.
• 8 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!