I prepared this fennel and potato soup some time ago and I must say it’s not the usual soup; you can immediately tell from the ingredients how unusual it is. But the flavor in the end is very pleasant and, although it’s light, it fills you up a lot. In short, a vegan, nourishing dish that’s also easy to make.
Unusual ingredients here include the apple, which gives more body and sweetness to the soup, and the lemon, which is really needed: it adds a flavor note that works perfectly! You’ll also notice the cashews, which you can omit, but they add extra flavor and nutrition, so I suggest spending a few extra Weight Watchers points and using them.
The recipe is of Slavic origin, and when the Dutchman heard the ingredients he immediately said that Slavic peoples tend to use lemon everywhere but he was doubtful about the final result. In the end we ate it all up: it’s truly delicious! And honestly it’s quite substantial; if you want you can split it into three smaller portions. Let’s look at the recipe!
If you like soups with legumes and vegetables, try these:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Budget
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 2
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Healthy
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter and Spring
Ingredients
- 2 cups potato
- 1 fennel bulb (1 large or 2 small)
- 1 onion (shallot works too)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 apple
- 1/3 cup cashews (optional)
- 1 tbsp tapioca flour (or potato starch, about 1 tablespoon)
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil (2 teaspoons)
- 3 1/3 cups vegetable broth (add more broth if necessary)
- 7 tbsp water
- 1/2 lemon (juice only)
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- Total points with cashews = 17.50 WW points
- Points per serving with cashews = 9 WW points
- Total points without cashews = 9.50 WW points
- Points per serving without cashews = 5 WW points
Tools
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Pot
- Blender
Steps
The first thing to do is to soak the cashews in warm water.
First, sauté the finely chopped onion and fennel in the oil, and after a couple of minutes add the garlic, either crushed or sliced.
Then add the potato and apple cut into cubes, stir to let them absorb the flavors and finally add the vegetable broth. Or, as I do, water and vegetable bouillon granules. Cover and let simmer gently.
While the vegetables cook, put the cashews drained from their soaking water into a blender, add the tapioca flour (or potato starch if you don’t have tapioca) and 7 tbsp of water. Blend well until you obtain a smooth cream.
If you decide not to use cashews, simply mix the cold water and the tapioca flour or potato starch well in a cup. Make sure there are no lumps.
When the potatoes are cooked, add the cashew cream (or the mixture without cashews) and the juice of half a lemon and stir for a few minutes, just long enough for the soup to thicken.
Turn off the heat, add extra broth if you want it looser, and adjust the salt. Serve the fennel and potato soup piping hot, sprinkling with freshly ground pepper to taste.
What a super tasty dish! I think it’s perfect for a light dinner or to start a meal that includes a main and a side. You can also vary the quantities and use more potatoes if you don’t want to add other carbs — it’s up to you to experiment.
But if you change the ingredients, you’ll need to recalculate the WW points — don’t forget that!
I tried the fennel and potato soup both with and without the cashews and it’s delicious either way.
Try it yourself and let me know if you like it by commenting below or on Facebook — further down you’ll find the link to my group, the Mangia senza Pancia Club.
Enjoy!
by Giovanna Buono
Notes
Source used for this recipe: Chunky potato fennel soup.
