A few days ago, while chatting with my friend Ambra from @profumodizenzeroecannella, I was kindly invited to participate in the #lautunnoperme contest organized by her, @combinazioneperfetta, @ricciolicannellaecioccolato, @fogliedifrolla, and @bloomsimona and to share what this particular season means to me! What is autumn to me? It’s a special mood; I don’t love it like summer, but its colors, its fruits, its gloomy days aren’t completely indifferent to me! I like, for instance, watching the rain behind the window while perhaps sipping a steaming cup of tea; I like hearing it pounding strongly against the shutters, hearing the tinkling on the gutters, while lying on the couch reading a book wrapped in the comforting warmth of a blanket! I love baking cookies while it rains outside and being embraced by their spicy aroma; I like surrounding myself with the warmth of my home, gathering with my family, and cooking dishes that can give us this comforting and calming feeling! Creamy soups are part of it and are among the #comfortfood I adore the most! In a single word, they represent the emblem of my autumn desire. Few ingredients that together give me such satisfaction that only a few other foods can!!! And so let it be creamy soup! And which one to propose? A perfect combination of fennel and mixed white and brown champignon mushrooms, plenty of ginger, and a hearty scoop of cannellini beans. An incredible, spicy, robust, rich flavor, and, needless to say, so very autumnal…
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 4 Fennel
- 14 oz Champignon mushrooms (mixed white and brown)
- 1 Leek
- 11 oz Cannellini beans (already cooked)
- 4 cups Vegetable broth (+ as needed)
- 0.5 oz Fresh ginger
- 1 bunch Parsley
- as needed Extra virgin olive oil
- as needed Salt
Preparation
Cut the leek, removing the lower end, then make a slight longitudinal cut and remove the first two outer leaves. Slice it into thin rings and sauté half of it in a saucepan with two tablespoons of oil and two of hot vegetable broth (fig. 1).
Clean the fennel, removing the green part of the stalks and the fronds. Cut them into quarters and wash them in acidulated water with lemon juice to keep them white. Drain them, dry them with kitchen paper, and cut them into thin strips. Add them to the leek and let them flavor for a few minutes over high heat (fig. 2).
Cover with vegetable broth and bring to a boil (fig. 3).
Meanwhile, in a non-stick pan, brown the other half of the leek with a drizzle of oil and 2 tablespoons of hot broth, then add the well-cleaned and sliced mushrooms (fig. 4).
Lower the heat, season with 0.3 oz of grated ginger, and cook covered for 15 minutes, adding some vegetable broth as needed (fig. 5).
Turn off the heat and pour some of it into the saucepan where the fennel is cooking (fig. 6).
Also add the beans and let them cook for another 5 minutes, then adjust with salt, turn off, and blend with an immersion blender. Serve the creamy soup still hot with the rest of the mushrooms left whole, fresh chopped parsley, and turmeric croutons. And voilà…your creamy soup of fennel, mushrooms, and cannellini beans is ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appétit from Fefe’s kitchen!
Tips, notes, variations, and suggestions
🟣For a tastier version, you can add the cannellini beans to the pan with the champignon mushrooms 5 minutes before turning off the heat, then serve on top of the creamy soup. Delicious!
