A quick to pull-together cozy meal with rich flavor. This hearty and delicious White Bean Fennel Soup Recipe is so satisfying on its own with a thick slice of crusty Multigrain Sourdough Bread or top with Sourdough Croutons to make a cozy meal.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Review: “Made this for lunch today and loved it, Traci! I never had fennel in soup before and really enjoyed it. I was able to eat two bowls (could not have stopped me lol)…” ~ Janice
Fennel Soup Highlights
There’s so much to love about this vegetarian and vegan fennel soup recipe. Rich and complex flavor comes from the simplest ingredients! Here’s why you’ll enjoy this recipe:
- Simple to Make – a one pot meal with just eight basic ingredients.
- Fresh Ingredients – a soup to feel good about eating.
- Cook and Prep Time – this recipe can be on the table in just under 30 minutes.
For those on the fence about soup with fennel, this is a recipe I recommend starting with. Cooking truly transforms the flavor of fennel into a rich, sweet, and complex-tasting vegetable.
You’ll enjoy this flavorful white bean fennel soup if you love hearty and plant forward homemade soup recipes.
Standout Ingredients
- Fennel Bulb – look for fresh fennel with fronds attached. While the fronds will only be used for garnish in this soup, they’re quite tasty in green smoothies. Fennel adds texture and mild sweetness.
- Kale – I like Lacinato or Dinosaur Kale in this recipe, but any kale will do. It adds texture, color and bulk. It’s mild in flavor too.
- Vegetable Broth – a good veggie broth is key here. My preferred brand is Better than Bouillon, reduced sodium. It a broth concentrate that’s flavorful, economical and the jar can be recycled!
- Cannellini Beans – add bulk, creamy texture and earthy flavor. Use cooked white beans (aka white kidney beans), home cooked or canned.
If you’re a fennel fan, you’re going to love my Roasted Fennel Mushroom Gratin!
At a Glance: How to Make White Bean Fennel Soup
Get out your Dutch oven or large pot and wooden spoon. We’re making a rich and tasty soup with fennel!
- First, dice the onion and fennel and saute’ in a bit of olive oil.
- Second, destem, chop and wash the kale, then add it to the soup pot along with minced garlic – I always add a little extra!
- Next, pour in the veggie broth and cook the soup until it’s warmed through.
- Last, remove from heat and stir in a squeeze of lemon juice.
Add plenty of fresh ground pepper and taste for salt. Ladle into soup bowls and share with lemon wedges and warm, crusty Sourdough Bread for sopping up all the delicious, infused broth.
Good to Know
What Part of Fennel is Used for Soup?
For this soup recipe, we’re chopping the bulb, the white part of fennel and saving the fronds for garnish.
What Does Fennel Taste Like in Soup?
Cooking fennel softens its otherwise sharp, raw flavors. Since we’re sautéing the fennel, its flavor is transformed into sweet, buttery and complex. It’s quite nice.
Traci’s Tips
- Make Ahead – this is this kind of soup that’s perfect for the work week. Its flavor improves with a little time.
- Variation – I adapted this soup with fennel recipe from BonAppetit Magazine where they use Mustard Greens in lieu of Kale. When I can find Mustard Greens, I use them in this recipe. They are delicious! But, they can be hard to find.
- Garlic and Lemon – if you love these two together, you can get away with adding more in this recipe.
Lemon-Garlic White Bean, Kale and Fennel Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 cup (100 grams) Yellow Onion, diced, about one medium
- 1 cup (135 grams) Fennel Bulb* (see note), fronds trimmed and reserved, bulb sliced thin and chopped, about one large fennel
- 3 teaspoons Garlic , minced, about 4-5 medium cloves
- 1/2 pound (215 grams) Bunch Lacinato or Dinosaur Kale, stems removed, and chopped into bite size pieces (about 1 big bunch)
- 2 cups (15 ounces / 425 grams) Cannellini Beans, (aka white kidney beans) cooked, or one can, rinsed and drained
- 4 cups (875 grams) Vegetable Broth, ** (see note) I use low sodium
- 1 cup (237 grams) Water, adjust up if a souper soup is desired
- 2 Lemons
- Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or medium stock pot, add the olive oil. Heat to shimmering and stir in the onions and fennel. Cook on medium low for about 8-9 minutes, stirring occasionally or until the onions and fennel have softened.
- Add the garlic and kale, and a pinch of sea salt. Cook on medium low until the kale is wilted, stirring a few times, about 3 minutes.
- Add the beans, broth and water, stirring gently so the beans don’t break. Bring to a simmer, then turn to low. Cook to warm through about 5-10 minutes.
- Finish the soup with a squeeze of half a lemon, plenty of fresh ground pepper and fine sea salt to taste. Serve with remaining lemon, cut into wedges, chopped fennel fronds and crusty Sourdough Bread or Sourdough Croutons.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
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Easy, healthy, and delicious.
Love hearing this, Laura! Thank you for your note and giving the soup a go!