Hearty Minestra with Fennel
Recipe information
Yield
for 2 quarts of soup, serving 6 or more
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the broth to a boil, stir in the salt and chopped fennel, and return to a steady gentle boil. Cook covered for 15 to 20 minutes, until the fennel is tender. If you want, cook uncovered for a thicker consistency. Stir in the fennel fronds just before serving in warm bowls, with freshly grated cheese, extra-virgin olive oil, and other garnishes (see page 60).
Trimming fresh Fennel
Step 2
Wild fennel is best for this soup. I recall foraging in the spring for wild fennel for my grandmother. “Pick only the tender center shoots,” she would instruct me. I knew the light-green feathery fronds were the ones she wanted, and on my way home would lightly chew them and suck out their sweet licorice center.
Step 3
Fresh fennel is now available year-round. Buy the whole bulb with stalks; look for the freshest fronds and firm white bulbs without bruises. An untrimmed bulb with attached stalks weighing 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds will yield about 2 cups of chopped fennel; a single 2-pound bulb will yield 3 to 4 cups chopped.
Step 4
Slice off the tough bottom of the bulb, as shown in the photos. Break off the thick outer layers of the bulb and the big hollow stalks attached to them. Slice off the remaining stems and fronds. Save the short, tender inner stalks—they are flavorful and fresh and add a bit of color to sauces, soups, and other dishes.
Step 5
Slice the trimmed fennel bulb lengthwise (through the root end and top). For long slivers to use in salads, lay the bulb half on the flat, cut side and slice thinly, lengthwise (separate the slivers if they’re joined at the core).
Step 6
For cubed or diced fennel, slice each bulb half in thin crosswise slices, and cut again to get cubes of any size (just as you would an onion). Be sure to chop up the tender inner stalks you saved.
Step 7
For a garnish, pick off the freshest and most delicate fronds from the stalks. Leave them long and lacy, or mince.
