Fennel & Butternut Squash Soup
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 40 min
YIELDS: 4 servings
This textured, hearty and creamy butternut squash soup is topped with the fennel salad of your dreams. It's soup and salad in the best possible way. The salad has a creamy dressing that melts into the soup the same way a drizzle of heavy cream would. It makes this soup satisfying and packed with vegetables.
This is a kind of soup AND salad. A rich and simple butternut squash soup that has the perfect amount of texture, topped with a zippy, easy shaved fennel salad. It’s jam-packed with vegetables, super heartwarming, and just the right amount of comforting-meets-vibrant.
This butternut squash soup with fennel salad comes together so easily but still carries those rich, complex and satisfying flavors that you want out of soup. Plus, butternut squash soup is the epitome of fall and one of the most comforting meals out there!
In TCM, fennel seeds are used to relax the muscles in the digestive tract, and alleviate cramping and bloating. Fennel is considered to Warm the Interior and help Tonify Spleen and Lung Qi, both important for supporting digestive function.
The fresh stems of fennel can be eaten like celery, and both the bulb and the seeds have a mild, licorice-like flavor. This flavor profile is due to the compound “anethole,” found in fennel and other plants, such as anise, it is a monoterpene that is 13 times sweeter than table sugar. It relaxes intestinal muscles helping to relieve constipation and gas. It is also known to have estrogen boosting properties, and insecticide properties: inhibiting mosquitos, fungi, and molds.
INGREDIENTS
1 large fennel bulb stalks and fronds included
2 tablespoons yogurt or skyr
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/2 of a lemon
5 garlic cloves divided
extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt
1 tablespoon salted butter
1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
1/4 pound celery stalks 3 stalks, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 heaping teaspoon nutmeg
2 pounds butternut squash cubed into 1-inch pieces
1 bay leaf
2 cups vegetable broth
freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the fennel salad. Remove the fronds and finely chop them. Discard the stalks. Add the fronds to a large bowl. Mandolin the fennel bulb into razor-thin pieces and set aside.
To the bowl with the fronds, add the yogurt, lemon juice, two grated garlic cloves and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Whisk into a thick dressing and season liberally with salt.
Add in the fennel bulb pieces, toss to coat in the dressing, and place this in the fridge while you prepare the soup.
Set a large dutch oven over medium heat and add the butter and six tablespoons of olive oil. Allow the butter to fully melt, then add the onion and celery. Cook until softened, 5-6 minutes. Season with salt.
Add in the garlic, cayenne and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Add in the butternut squash. Stir to combine and season with salt.
Cook this mixture down for 20 minutes, or until the squash is fully soft. Stir the mixture every five minutes, covering the dutch oven with a cracked lid in between. When the squash is soft, use your spoon to break up most of the pieces, mashing many and leaving some whole.
Add the bay leaf and broth and let the soup simmer for 20-30 minutes more. The longer it simmers the more flavor will build. Continue to stir occasionally to break up the squash pieces. The soup should be chunky but thick. Taste, season with salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.
To plate, add the soup, then top with a pile of the fennel salad. Top with a few more cracks of black pepper and drizzle with any remaining fennel dressing left in the bowl. Eat right away with crusty bread
photo and recipe credits to Justine Snacks
