If you've never cooked with fennel, try it! Its flavour really is unique. This is a deliciously flavoursome soup blending herbs and spices with fennel and leeks. Fennel has long been a central ingredient in many Asian (it’s a main component in the Chinese five spice powder), Middle Eastern and European dishes. In the Middle Ages, its popularity spread northward from the Mediterranean area, where it still features in many pasta dishes. This soup is suitable both for day-to-day meals and for dinner parties. To keep it strictly vegetarian, make it with a vegetable stock. For the best results, use a really good stock, preferably home-made. This soup is best made in a large, deep (preferably non-stick) sauté pan with a lid. Next time I make it, I’m going to substitute a cup of wine for one of the cups of stock, adding it during the 15 minutes while the soup is simmering.
03In a large pot, heat the stock, add the rosemary sprigs, thyme and nutmeg and bring to the boil.
04Simmer over a low heat for about 15 minutes.
05Remove the rosemary sprigs.
06Add the fennel, leek and garlic mixture to the pot, and stir to combine all the ingredients.
07Set the pan in which the fennel, leek and garlic were sautéed aside, for re-use later.
08Allow the soup to cool slightly (10 minutes cooling time should be ample), then blend it in batches in a blender or food processor until smooth.
09As each batch is blended, pour the blended soup into another pot or pan, perhaps the deep pan used earlier to sauté the fennel, leeks and garlic.
10Once all of the soup has been blended, stir it to ensure that it is of an even consistency (inevitably some batches were probably thinner than others).
11Stir the sour cream and the 1/4 cup of parmesan into the soup.
12Reheat the soup over a medium heat until it is hot, but do not allow it to come to the boil.
13Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
14Turn off the heat and leave the soup covered so that it stays warm.
15In a small non-stick pan, heat the oil, and sauté the extra leek for 2-3 minutes, or until softened but not browned.
16Ladle the soup into warm soup bowls and top with the sautéed leek.
17Garnish with the extra parmesan and sour cream, and serve immediately with warm crusty rolls.
18Chef's Note: Since posting this recipe, and since last making this soup, I have found and posted a fabulous recipe for vegetable, quite unlike others I have used in the past: Vegetable Stock Recipe #135453.