Potato Bacon Fennel Soup
Total Time
40 mins
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Rating
5 out of 5 stars
(5)
Ingredients
4 to 6 servings
- 5 ounces bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 bulb fennel, very thinly sliced (with fronds reserved for later)
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
- chopped fresh chives, for topping
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Preparation
Step 1
Cook the bacon: Heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and sauté, stirring occasionally, until cooked and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a clean bowl, leaving the grease behind.
Step 2
Sauté the fennel and onion: Immediately add the fennel, onion, and fennel seeds to the pot with the bacon grease. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring every minute or two so that the edges can get a bit browned and caramelized. Add the garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring more frequently.
Step 3
Simmer: Add the broth, potatoes, rosemary, crushed red pepper flakes, and a few twists of black pepper. Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer. Then reduce heat to maintain the simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
Step 4
Season: Taste and season with additional salt and black pepper if needed.
Step 5
Serve: Serve warm, garnished with the cooked bacon, chopped fennel fronds, and lots of chopped fresh chives. Enjoy!
Step 6
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Chef's notes
Use sausage:
Italian sausage (either traditional or plant-based) would be a delicious alternative to bacon if you would like.
Use different herbs:
There are a number of different fresh herbs (such as basil, dill, oregano, sage, tarragon, thyme, etc) that could be delicious in this soup, so feel free to play around with the flavors you love best.
Add cream:
Add in 1/2 cup heavy cream if you would like to make this more of a creamy potato soup.
