fennel soup

this soup is so good. loosely adapted from an epicurious recipe, this is really an amazing illusion of creaminess without a drop of cream or milk. it's so clean, and modern, it begs to served in this mid-century modern tureen.

3 large fennel bulbs sliced (6 cups)

1 leek, white and pale green parts sliced

1 HUGE shallot, diced

6 tablespoons of butter

a splash of extra dry sherry

6 cups of chicken broth

teaspoon fennel frond (or more to taste)

3/4 cup of packed, raw baby spinach

saute the fennel, leeks, and shallot in the butter until translucent (about 10 minutes?). add splash of wine cook another minute or so. add the broth and frond and boil for 30-35 minutes.

after the fennel is very tender turn off the heat. let cool slightly before pureeing in the blender (don't skip the cooling, that soup is hot! believe me). Puree in batches. During the last batch add the raw spinach. the heat from the soup will cook it sufficiently. add it all back to a pot and heat back up on low.

enjoy.

this soup is seriously good. next time i will try low sodium chicken broth because it is otherwise very healthy!