Tomato Fennel Soup With Crab Recipes

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook and stir fennel, onion, celery, and garlic in the hot oil until tender, about 10 minutes.
• Pour tomatoes and chicken broth over vegetable mixture and simmer for 4 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and add basil and parsley. Cool soup slightly.
• Pour soup into a blender no more than half-full. Cover and hold lid down; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Puree in batches until smooth.

Steps:

• In 4-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook fennel, onion and garlic in oil about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender. Stir in tomatoes, broth, salt and pepper, breaking up tomatoes with spoon. Heat to boiling.
• Reduce heat. Cover; simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
• Carefully pour half of the mixture into blender. Cover; blend on high speed about 30 seconds or until smooth. Return to saucepan. Repeat with remaining mixture. Keep warm over low heat until serving.

Steps:

• Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add fennel, onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low. Partly cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in garlic and chile powder; cook 1 minute. Stir in Pernod and cook until almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes.
• Pour in tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups water and the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook gently, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the black pepper. Purée soup in batches using a blender or immersion blender until smooth.
• Transfer soup back to pot over medium heat; simmer until slightly thickened, 5 to 10 minutes more. Scrape down sides and bottom of pot occasionally. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread bread slices on a large baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 10 minutes.
• Toast fennel seeds in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant and lightly colored, 2 to 3 minutes. Melt in remaining 1 tablespoon butter.
• Adjust oven temperature to broil and position rack 6 inches from heat. Brush toasts with fennel-seed butter and top with Brie. Return to oven and broil until bubbly and golden, 1 to 3 minutes (check every minute or so to see that they are not burning). Ladle soup into bowls and top with a cheese crouton. Garnish with fennel fronds.