Charred Fennel Soup

Fennel is so deeply misunderstood, and this charred fennel soup is on a mission to help change that. Also….I feel like only hot people really like fennel. Truly, I’ve never met a mediocre-looking person who really LOVES fennel. Every fennel lover is so good looking. So if you’re here because you like fennel, congrats, you hottie 😉

Ok BUT NOW ON TO MY SOUP – this soup is insanely simple, but all about building that flavor that every soup needs. The beauty of soups, including this charred fennel soup, is that as you cook them, their flavor builds. This soup starts with strong aromatics (hello, fennel and shallots) and builds with caraway seeds, paprika, chili flakes and of course our girl, garlic. Let it simmer for 45 minutes and watch as the flavors build this into the perfect winter soup.

And you can trust me, I have high standards for my soups, and this fennel version is absolutely no exception.

Ingredients you will need for this charred fennel soup

Despite this soup being big on flavor, I wanted to keep the ingredients to largely easy-to-find staples. I don’t want a recipe to make you spend hours hunting in the grocery store, so everything in this soup is back to the basics:

• 1 large fennel bulb
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 shallots, quartered
• 2 tsp caraway seeds
• 1 tsp chili flakes
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 3 garlic cloves, minced or grated with a microplane
• 1 can tomato paste, 10 tbsp
• 1 quart vegetable stock
• 1 cup water
• 2/3 cup uncooked brown rice, see recipe notes for other options
• 1/3 cup cashews
• 1 lemon, for juicing
• Salt and fresh cracked black pepper, as needed

Let’s talk about the charring of the fennel in this recipe

I chose to charr the fennel in this recipe for two reasons, the first, is that is is a gorgeous and flavorful way to plate the ending result. And you know I love a visual.

But the second reason is just as important – when you char and sizzle fennel in olive oil, its rich, almost licorice-esque flavor infuses into the olive oil. This gives the soup a subtle fennel flavor, without having fennel throughout. Why is this a good thing? Well, it’s one more layer of flavor to the soup, but it also won’t overpower anyone who might say fennel is not their favorite. And then when you serve, you can just pick and choose who prefers the fennel on top.

You can of course opt to cook the fennel just like the shallots and keep it in through the whole process, but this is my preference to make this soup more approachable!

How to make this charred fennel soup

This soup is all about timing. Soups tend to be a slow process, but they are also fairly low-effort. Everything in this step-by-step is designed so that you aren’t backtracking on work when you make this soup:

• Remove the stalk and fronds from the fennel bulb. Set the fronds aside for later use. Store the stalks for other recipes!
• Slice the fennel bulb lengthwise, creating 5-6 thick slices.
• Add about half of your olive oil to a high-sided sauté pan. Put the pan on medium heat, and add the fennel slices, cooking for 3-4 minutes on each side or until they are heavily charred. Remove them from the pan and lightly season with salt. Set them aside.
• Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and keep it on medium heat. Add in the shallots and season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots have broken apart and are jammy and slightly golden, about 3-4 minutes. You want them incredibly soft and releasing all their flavor into the olive oil.
• Add the caraway seeds into the shallots, let them sizzle and break them slightly with a wooden spatula or spoon. Add in the chili flakes, paprika and garlic and stir. Cook for about 2 minutes.
• Add in the tomato paste and stir to combine with everything in the pan. Let the tomato paste cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, or until it noticeably darkens from bright red to a deep dark red.
• Pour in the vegetable stock and gently stir to combine with the rest of the ingredients. Let this come to a simmer to help everything combine. Season to taste.
• When the broth is smooth, add in the brown rice and the additional cup of water. Let this come to a rapid simmer and cover. Let simmer for 30-40 minutes, this will allow the rice to cook and allow for the soup to develop a deeper flavor.
• While the soup is simmering, soak the cashews for 15 minutes in hot water. Drain the water and add the cashews to a small blender. Add in 1/2 cup of cool water and blend until smooth. Squeeze in the juice of one lemon and season with salt and black pepper to taste.
• You’ll know the soup is done when it has noticeably thickened with the brown rice. Remove from the heat.
• To plate, ladle a generous portion of soup into 4 bowls, and top each with a fennel piece or two. Generously garnish with the fennel fronds and cashew cream. Finish with fresh cracked black pepper and serve!

Substitutions for this recipe

Ok ok ok, I know this recipe is simple, but everything could use a sub! Here are a few of my favorite things to substitute for the ingredients in this recipe if you need to:

• If you don’t love fennel – cabbage is a great option! You can also venture into kohlrabi if you are feeling wild.
• If you don’t have caraway seeds – I love love love fennel seeds. They have a similar earthy flavor, and both play into the flavors of this soup really well.
• No vegetable stock? – Chicken stock, beef stock or any stock will add amazing flavor. You can also do a Better Than Bouillon cube and the same amount of water.
• Want more than brown rice? – uncooked (but soaked) beans are a great sub, you can also toss in any vegetables you want in its place! I love sweet potatoes or squash here for some extra carbs.
• If you don’t want to make cashew cream – coconut milk is an excellent (pre-made) substitute!

Looking for similar recipes?

Here are some favorites that will hit the same spot as this charred fennel soup:

And that’s everything for this fennel soup recipe!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making.

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3