Description
A flavorful and creamy Fennel Leek Soup with toasted walnuts and turmeric, perfect for a comforting gluten-free and vegan main course. This soup blends the sweet earthiness of fennel and apples with aromatic leeks and a hint of spice from turmeric, topped with crunchy walnuts for texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 leeks, white and light green parts chopped (discard green tops or use them for stock)
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 1 medium fennel bulb, cored and chopped
- 1 medium apple, peeled, cored and chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ cup walnut halves, toasted
- Sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 cups vegetable stock
Instructions
- Heat and sauté leeks: Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the chopped leeks and thyme, stirring and sautéing until the leeks become slightly soft, about 4 minutes.
- Add fennel and apple: Stir in the chopped fennel and apple, mixing well with the leeks. Add the turmeric and stir thoroughly to coat all the vegetables evenly.
- Sauté vegetables: Continue sautéing until the fennel starts to soften, approximately 4 more minutes. Then add the toasted walnuts and stir them in. Season with sea salt and ground black pepper to taste.
- Add stock and simmer: Pour in the vegetable stock and stir. Cover the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables and apples are very soft, about 15 minutes.
- Blend the soup: Remove the soup from heat and carefully blend the soup in batches in a blender until completely smooth.
- Adjust seasoning and reheat: Return the pureed soup to the pot. Bring it back to a gentle boil to warm through. Adjust seasoning if needed.
- Serve: Serve hot, optionally drizzled with maple syrup, fresh black pepper, fennel fronds, and extra toasted walnuts for garnish.
Notes
- Use homemade vegetable stock for best flavor, but store-bought stock works well too.
- Celery can be substituted for fennel if unavailable.
- Replace walnuts with pecans for a different but complementary nutty flavor.
- Be cautious when blending hot soup; blend in small batches to avoid accidents.
- Maple syrup drizzle adds a subtle sweetness that balances the earthiness of the soup.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 180 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
