Garlic Fennel Goodness

After much prodding, here is my improvised recipe for Garlic Fennel Soup, inspired by Sr. Rathbun and the menu at his eponymous establishment. This first appeared in la belle mangeuse's post about our New Year's Eve festivities.

Garlic Fennel Soup

makes 4 large servings, 6 small

2-3 T unsalted butter
2 bulbs fennel, cored and sliced thin
10 or more cloves of garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1-2 t fennel seeds, ground
2 c dry white wine (You could replace this with broth if you wish)
3 c broth (vegetable or chicken)
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 c heavy cream

Melt butter over medium-low heat; saute fennel until soft ~ 20 minutes.

Add garlic and fennel seed and saute until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 1 minute.

Deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine and add the rest of the wine and the broth. Add the thyme and simmer for ~20 minutes.

Remove the thyme sprigs and puree with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender. Strain through a mesh strainer, and stir in the cream. Serve and enjoy!