Tomato Fennel Soup

An elegant starter soup, especially for winter when the best tomatoes come in cans. From the mediterranean vegan kitchen.

Heat the oil in medium stockpot over medium-low.

Add fennel , shallots and carrot , cook until very soft but not brown , stirring occasionally.

This will take about 15 minutes.

Add tomatoes and 1 / 2 cup broth , bring to boil over high heat.

Reduce heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes , stirring occasionally.

Transfer to blender or food processor in batches , and process until smooth.

Adjust the seasonings , and add more veggie broth if necessary to achieve your desired consistency.

Serve hot , garnished with the chopped fennel leaves.

This soup reheats well.

extra virgin olive oil, fennel bulb, fennel leaves, shallots, carrot, canned tomatoes, vegetable broth, salt, pepper