Fennel Potato Soup

5 from 1 vote

Fennel and cumin add sweet, complex flavor to this twist on classic potato soup.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 270kcal

Remove any wilted or damaged outer layers from the fennel bulb. Roughly chop the fennel bulb and two fennel stalks. Everything will be immersion blended, so don't worry about uniformity.
Peel the potatoes, then diced into 1-inch pieces. To avoid browning, cover the potatoes in water until they are ready to be used.
Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add butter. Once melted, add the fennel and salt. Sauté until softened and golden, about 6-8 minutes.
Add in the garlic and fennel seed, cooking until aromatic, just 1-2 minutes.
Stir in the cumin, diced potatoes, Dijon mustard, drained and rinsed white beans, and vegetable broth. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, remove the lid and boil until the potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes.
Immersion blend the soup until smooth. You can also carefully transfer it to a blender in batches. Stir in ¼ cup of the half and half. Taste for salt and seasonings, and add extra half & half, if desired.
Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon juice before serving. Serve garnished with fennel fronds and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Enjoy!

Fennel flavor: Despite using an entire fennel bulb, this fennel flavor is not overwhelming in the soup because sautéing fennel decreases the intensity of the anise/licorice flavor in fennel. This is why I like adding in a bit of fennel seed too, which has a strong flavor. Feel free to omit the fennel seed if you want to keep the fennel flavor subtle.
Storage and reheating: Best within 3-4 days. The soup thickens up a lot in the fridge. It will thin as it reheats, but you can add a splash of half and half or vegetable broth as needed. Reheat on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Or reheat individual servings in the microwave.