Name: Fennel soup with toasted fennel seed oil and horseradish
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4 - 6
Ingredients: 1 onion, finely chopped; 40 gm piece of prosciutto (see note); 12 garlic cloves, peeled; 120 ml olive oil; 1.5 litres chicken or vegetable stock (6 cups); 6 fennel bulbs (1.5kg), diced, and 1 cup fronds finely chopped, to serve; 300 gm sour cream; Finely grated horseradish, to serve; Toasted fennel seed oil; 120 ml grapeseed oil or light olive oil; 1 tbsp fennel seeds, crushed (between coarse and fine)

Fennel soup with toasted fennel seed oil and horseradish

Toasted fennel seed oil here adds lift and nuttiness to this creamy fennel soup.

Serves 4 - 6

Prep

20M

Cook

45M

Total

1H 5M

Skip to Recipe

We love the idea of adding flavour to dishes with simple infused oils, such as a herb or spice oil, and the toasted fennel seed oil here adds lift and nuttiness to this creamy fennel soup. A crumbling of blue cheese or thin shavings of aged cheddar would also make a lovely extra topping.

Ingredients

1 onion, finely chopped

40 gm piece of prosciutto (see note)

12 garlic cloves, peeled

120 ml olive oil

1.5 litres chicken or vegetable stock (6 cups)

6 fennel bulbs (1.5kg), diced, and 1 cup fronds finely chopped, to serve

300 gm sour cream

Finely grated horseradish, to serve

Toasted fennel seed oil

120 ml grapeseed oil or light olive oil

1 tbsp fennel seeds, crushed (between coarse and fine)

Method

Main

1.For toasted fennel seed oil, gently heat oil and fennel seeds in a small saucepan over low-medium heat until seeds become fragrant and oil is only just too hot to touch. Set aside to cool and infuse (1-2 hours).

2.Meanwhile, sauté onion, prosciutto and garlic in olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat until onion starts to turn light golden (15-17 minutes). Add stock and fennel and simmer uncovered until fennel is very tender (30-35 minutes). Discard prosciutto and purée soup with a stick blender (or in a blender in batches, cooling the soup first). Season to taste. Just before serving, bring soup back to the boil, then stir in sour cream and fennel fronds, and season to taste.

3.To serve, ladle hot soup into bowls, drizzle with toasted fennel seed oil, and scatter with horseradish.

Note: End pieces of prosciutto or other cured pork are perfect in soups such as this.
Drink Suggestion: Barrel-fermented sauvignon blanc. Drink suggestion by Max Allen
Notes

Recipe / styling by Lisa Featherby

Profile Claire Delmar

Ingredients

Method

Main

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