Rustic Tomato and Fennel Soup
This is a savory soup loaded with red, ripe tomatoes roasted with garlic and olive oil, along with sautéed fennel, sweet onions, carrots, and a mountain of fresh basil. Cubes of ciabatta bread are tossed in, adding body and soaking up the base of the soup - a robust red wine and rich chicken stock. No matter the date on your calendar, any day is a good day for soup!
Equipment
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Large Dutch oven or stockpot
- Immersion blender or standard blender
Ingredients
- 3 pounds fresh Roma tomatoes, halved and stem end removed
- 4 teaspoons chopped garlic, about 4 to 5 garlic cloves
- 2-½ to 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- ¾ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, divided
- 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 large carrots, scrubbed or peeled, then thinly sliced, about 1-1/2 cups
- 2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced, about 4 cups
- 1 large fennel bulb, cored and thinly sliced, 2 cups
- 5 cups cubed ciabatta bread, about half of a loaf
- 1 large can Roma tomatoes, 28-ounces
- 1-½ cups fresh basil leaves
- 4 cups chicken stock
- ¾ cup Pinot Noir
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400-degrees.
- Place the tomato halves and the garlic on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a Silpat liner or with foil. Toss with 4 tablespoons of the olive oil, coating the tomatoes evenly. Spread the tomatoes out in a single layer cut side up. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon of the black pepper.
- Roast the tomatoes in a 400-degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour or until they are starting to collapse and the skins are beginning to loosen. Time will vary depending on the size of your tomatoes. Let them cool until you can handle them. Peel the skins off the tomatoes and collect the meat of the tomatoes along with any juices that have accumulated while roasting. Make certain to scoop up any chopped garlic left on the pan.
- While the tomatoes roast, melt the butter with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions, and fennel and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally.
- Add the ciabatta bread, tossing into the vegetables and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with 2 teaspoons of the remaining kosher salt and the remaining ½ teaspoon black pepper.
- Stir in the peeled, roasted tomatoes, canned tomatoes and their juices, chicken stock, wine, fresh basil, and red pepper flakes. Using an immersion blender, purée until the soup has a slightly smooth consistency. You can also transfer the soup to a blender and process.
- Continue cooking over medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Add remaining kosher salt if needed.
- Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Fennel - sometimes referred to as anise - has a fresh, almost peppery, minty flavor when it's raw. And when cooked it adds a fragrant and savory bite to any dish. All parts of fennel are edible from the bulb to the fronds. For this dish, just the bulb is used. To prep the fennel, trim the green fronds from the bulb, slice it in half and remove the touch core by making a "V-shape" cut with a sharp paring knife.