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I first had something similar to this in London during the Olympics. I really enjoyed it, especially the bit of licorice flavor from the fennel. If you wouldn't think of putting lettuce in a soup, you should; it adds a light flavor and texture to go with the body and...

Green Pea, Lettuce, and Fennel Soup

  • ‚Äã3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 medium fennel bulb, chopped (about 2 cups), fronds reserved for garnish
  • 2 large shallots
  • 1 medium head Bibb lettuce, cut into ½-inch strips (4 cups lightly packed)
  • 1 (10-ounce) package frozen petite peas
  • 1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • ¬æ teaspoon fennel seeds
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt ‚Äã
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper‚Äã
Serves 4

Melt the butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the fennel and shallots. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, 6 to 7 minutes.

Add the lettuce to the pan and stir until it wilts, 1 to 2 minutes. Mix in the peas, broth, and 1 cup water and bring the soup to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the vegetables are just tender, 5 to 6 minutes.

In a blender, puree the soup in batches until smooth, adding some fennel seeds to each batch. Combine the batches in a large bowl and return all of the soup to the same pot. Add the salt and pepper.

Reheat the soup over low heat, thinning with a little water if it is too thick.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish each bowl with some fennel fronds and serve.

Green Pea, Lettuce, and Fennel Soup

By: Giada De Laurentiis

I first had something similar to this in London during the Olympics. I really enjoyed it, especially the bit of licorice flavor from the fennel. If you wouldn’t think of putting lettuce in a soup, you should; it adds a light flavor and texture to go with the body and the richness from the peas. A touch of butter rounds everything out. This is definitely a green soup. Serve it hot or at room temperature.

Yum
Green Pea, Lettuce, and Fennel Soup

I first had something similar to this in London during the Olympics. I really enjoyed it, especially the bit of licorice flavor from the fennel. If you wouldn’t think of putting lettuce in a soup, you should; it adds a light flavor and texture to go with the body and the richness from the peas. A touch of butter rounds everything out. This is definitely a green soup. Serve it hot or at room temperature.

Prep Time
minutes
Cook Time
minutes
Total Time
minutes
Cooking Level
Beginner

Serving size:

Serves 4

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium fennel bulb, chopped (about 2 cups), fronds reserved for garnish

2 large shallots

1 medium head Bibb lettuce, cut into ½-inch strips (4 cups lightly packed)

1 (10-ounce) package frozen petite peas

1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth

¾ teaspoon fennel seeds

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

Melt the butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the fennel and shallots. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, 6 to 7 minutes.

Add the lettuce to the pan and stir until it wilts, 1 to 2 minutes. Mix in the peas, broth, and 1 cup water and bring the soup to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the vegetables are just tender, 5 to 6 minutes.

In a blender, puree the soup in batches until smooth, adding some fennel seeds to each batch. Combine the batches in a large bowl and return all of the soup to the same pot. Add the salt and pepper.

Reheat the soup over low heat, thinning with a little water if it is too thick.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish each bowl with some fennel fronds and serve.

Gluten Free
Nut Free
Vegetarian
Photo of lizzynewm

Article by Giada De Laurentiis

Yum

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