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Chilled fennel and broad bean soup
Serves 4 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil, for frying and drizzling
- 1 very fresh fennel bulb, finely sliced
- 25g blanched almonds
- 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock (preferably homemade)
- 20g crème fraiche
- lemon juice, to taste
- 1tsp fennel seeds
- 100g podded young broad beans
- handful wild fennel fronds or dill
Method
Heat a medium saucepan over a medium heat and add a glug of olive oil. Add the fennel and cook briskly, without colouring, until softened. Add the almonds and stock and bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes or so until the fennel is fully cooked through and the almonds have softened. Season and add the crème fraîche. Transfer to a blender and blitz for around 5 minutes or until smooth.
Season again and add some lemon juice, to taste. Pour into a container and chill.
Heat a little oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat and lightly fry the fennel seeds until they become fragrant. Transfer to a pestle and mortar and lightly crush. Mix the fennel seeds with the broad beans and fennel fronds or dill.
Pour the soup into chilled bowls, then spoon in some of the bean and fennel seed mix and serve with a drizzle of oil.
This recipe was taken from the August/September 2021 issue of Food and Travel. To subscribe, click here.
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