A Writer Has to Eat: Carrot-Fennel-Leek Soup

This soup is wonderfully easy to make and very tasty. It requires little seasoning because the vegetables and their full flavors carry the soup.

Carrot-Fennel-Leek Soup

Ingredients



4 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds of carrots, washed, peeled, and diced
1 medium fennel bulb, washed and diced (use the whole bulb- base to fringe!)
3 leeks, washed, cut, and separated into 1/8 inch rings
6 stalks of celery, washed and diced
1 tablespoon garlic
2 32 ounce cartons of vegetable broth
2 15 ounce cans of white kidney beans/cannelini beans or 3 cups prepared dried white beans
salt and pepper to taste

1. Pour the vegetable broth into a deep pot. Add the beans and begin to simmer over gentle heat to warm.

2. Pour the olive oil into a large deep frying pan or dutch oven. Add the carrots, fennel bulb, leeks, and celery. Saute until the carrots begin to soften. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and saute for 2 minutes more.



3. Add the vegetables into the large stew pot. Allow the soup to simmer, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes for flavors to blend.

4. Enjoy with bread and cheese for a delicious meal or allow this soup to be the introduction to a superb multi-course meal.