When we think of midmeal snacks or a warming dish that can offer comfort as well as plenty of nutrients, soups might be up there, but you might have been put off by uninspiring or boring-looking flavors that don’t quite hit the spot.
After all, soups can be good for those times when you just want to warm up and have something that can become fulfilling, so you don’t feel you have to snack at more regular intervals throughout the day.
And with vegan recipes such as this one, you’ll find that your selection of ingredients can make a significant impact on the taste and the experience of preparing it, and we can’t wait for you to see what we have in store for you.
In this article, we have a tomato and fennel vegan soup that is very easy to make and can help fill that gap you may have with midweek recipe ideas.
Read on to find a unique take on a recipe that is packed full of goodness and taste.
What You’ll Need To Make Tomato And Fennel Soup
- 4 Large beefsteak or another type of heirloom tomato you desire
- 1 large banana shallot
- 1 can of dried chickpeas if desired
- 2 tablespoons of light olive oil
- 1 Natoora fennel bulb
- 1 garlic clove
- 625ml vegetable stock
- A dash or a tablespoon of mixed dried herbs
- Salt and black pepper, for taste
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
Instructions
Step 1
Cut your tomatoes into quarters and add your light olive oil, then you can roast these on a tray at 300 F for 1 ½ hours.
Once these have been cooked, you can add these to a blender with plum tomatoes if you wish, while adding your vegetable stock, where you can blend this until smooth.
Step 2
Now you can prepare your shallot by finely chopping and then frying it in a large saucepan or skillet, using more oil for 1 minute, and then you can mince the garlic and add this to your pan.
Prepare your fennel by trimming the base and cutting the loose ends from the stalks, and removing any outer flesh that might be browning.
Dice the remaining flesh and add to the same saucepan, and you can cook this for 5 minutes while stirring.
Step 3
Now the fun begins, as you can add your blended mixture into the pan while adding some salt, pepper, and dried herbs, and use your fennel fronds or chickpeas for more flavor, or you can save them for a garnish if you wish.
Then you can cook this for 15-20 minutes, or until all of your veggies become soft.
Once this is finished, you can add some lemon juice, as we recommend, no more than 1 tablespoon, and add any seasoning you want to use, and that’s it, you have a delicious soup.
Some Hacks You Could Use
These might not be life-changing alterations you can make to this recipe, but we think that these tips can help you out a bit if you feel that you’re in a pinch for ingredients or time isn’t on your side.
We’ve listed some of these below, and who knows, they may even become staples of your recipe going forward.
If You’re Short On Time
We know that during the week, when the grind is getting you down, and you want nothing more than to kick back and relax, you don’t want to spend too long preparing ingredients and having to wait on certain parts of this recipe to finish cooking.
The first thing you can do is use chopped tomatoes which can be cut an hour from this recipe, and you can add them with your plum tomatoes to the blender, but you might lose some texture doing it this way.
Also, you don’t need to be as precise with your cutting as you can leave your cut pieces a bit chunkier if you like, so you can throw it all together in a pinch, which can make this soup heartier.
Sauteeing Can Be A Game Changer
You might not want to cut the sauteeing process as this allows your veggies to absorb the vegetable stock and the soup that you add to the pan afterward, as you don’t want a situation where the flavor exists in layers, and you want a fuller body of flavor with every mouthful.
If you do decide to cut back here, you can blend the soup after everything has been added, which can aid the process even more, and it is excellent for those who aren’t fans of texture with their soup or want it as a simple snack.
Feel Like Adding Other Veggies?
We’ve mentioned chickpeas as an addition, but you could add zucchini, onion, celery, or even small chopped carrots to give your soup more fullness to it, but keep it simple, and this can be an effective option if you want some variety.
You can also dice or even have chunkier pieces if you feel that your soup recipe leaves you wanting more as you go about your day.
Final Thoughts
We’ve given you plenty of food for thought here, but if you still feel this recipe is missions something, you can always pair it with a side of soybean bread, or you could make your own croutons which can add even more fullness to the recipe.
Getting the balance right with the herbs can also be a task in itself, but we think that coriander is a great addition as it has an earthy and even sweet taste.
This, we believe, can work well, especially if you’re using meaty or snappy tomatoes, which can balance out this soup nicely.
Since my sister introduced me to vegan cooking four years ago, I have discovered so many delicious alternatives to the traditional meaty meals I used to eat.
Today I enjoy trying and making my own vegan-friendly alternatives. If my sister can do it, then so can I (and you can, too). It is easier than you may think, promise!
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