“If it’s not soup… it’s soaked bread,” goes a well-known saying. But let’s imagine! If it’s not soup, it’s cream or velouté. In this case, it’s a fennel, leek, and spinach cream. It’s extremely delicate, and you can tell that right away from the ingredients. A true comfort food when you come home in the evening and want something warm. It’s easy and also quite quick to make, but above all, it can be prepared in advance and reheated at the last moment.

Other cream or velouté recipes I recommend you try:

Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Economical
Preparation time: 20 Minutes
Portions: 4 people
Cooking methods: Stovetop
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: Fall, Winter, and Spring

Ingredients for the Fennel Cream

5.6 oz leeks (weight net of waste)
1.1 lbs fennel (weight net of waste)
7.1 oz spinach (weighed cleaned)
2.5 cups vegetable broth
extra virgin olive oil
salt
black pepper
Grana Padano cheese, grated (or Parmesan)

Tools

1 Saucepan with lid
1 Immersion blender

Preparation of the Fennel Cream

Clean the leek by removing the roots, the outer sheath, and the darker green part, and slice it into rings.
Trim the fennel by removing the stalks and base, then slice it.
In a saucepan, heat a few tablespoons of oil along with a few tablespoons of water before adding the leeks.
Sauté them for a couple of minutes, then add the fennel and spinach.
Cook for a few minutes until the spinach begins to wilt, then salt to taste and give it a good stir.
At this point, pour 2.5 cups of boiling broth over the vegetables, cover, and continue cooking for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once cooked, blend everything with an immersion blender until you get a smooth cream. Adjust the salt, if necessary. I usually remove a bit of liquid before blending the vegetables and set it aside so I don’t end up with too watery a cream. If needed, I gradually add it after using the blender. This way it’s easy to get the desired consistency.
Divide the fennel, leek, and spinach cream into individual bowls. Drizzle with a bit of raw oil, sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper, and decorate as desired. I added some leek strips that I first sautéed in a pan with a tablespoon of oil and slivered almonds. Serve it immediately, piping hot, after sprinkling with grated cheese. Enjoy! Paola.
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