Spicy Roasted Tomato and Fennel Soup
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 2 hours 25 mins
Total time: 2 hours 40 mins
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
- 3 lbs whole fresh tomatoes (FRESH!)
- 1 fennel bulb
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 leek
- 2 carrots
- 2 stalks celery
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 6 cups stock (Veggie stock for Meatless Monday!)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp Spicy Fennel Salt from Pollen Ranch
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Quarter the fennel bulb and remove the stem/base end.
- Cut the celery in half, peel the carrots and cut the ends off. Cut the carrots in half.
- Peel the onion, cut the ends off and cut into quarters.
- Rinse the leek and chop the end and the dark green top. Slice lengthwise in half.
- Peel the garlic cloves.
- Toss the fennel, celery, carrots, onion and garlic with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place on a sheet pan.
- Cut the cores from the tomatoes. and cut the tomatoes in half. Toss tomatoes with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place on a sheet pan.
- Put both pans 325 degree oven and roast for 1:20 to 1:45.
- Put all the vegetables into a large soup pot and add 6 cups of chicken or vegetable stock. Add the cumin, spicy fennel salt, smoked paprika, cayenne and salt to taste.
- Bring to a simmer and cook until the tomatoes break apart. Allow firmer vegetables to soften.
- Puree with an immersion blender or allow to cool and puree in a regular blender.
- Optional – (I like the chunky bits) Strain the soup through a fine mesh strainer to remove the skins, seeds and fibrous parts of the fennel.
- Return the soup to the pot and reheat if you used a blender.
- Salt and Pepper to taste before serving.