Carrot, Fennel & Smoked Chicken Soup

This dish combines two of my favorite things: Southwest cuisine and fresh produce. Since it’s the literal season for using root vegetables, the stars of this soup are the fennel and the carrots. Be sure to find good, local veggies. Enjoy one last hardy soup for the lingering winter days ahead. Bon appétit!

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, julienned

2 carrots, sliced on a diagonal into 1/4” thick coins

1 fennel root, quartered and sliced to 1/8” thickness

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp coriander

1/2 tsp black pepper

6 cups vegetable broth

1 lb pulled smoked chicken (or turkey)

8 oz cooked wild rice, optional*

2 handfuls of chopped kale, optional

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/4 cup chopped fennel fronds or dill**

Directions:

1. To make the soup, heat a large cast iron Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high Add the one tablespoon of olive oil. Once heated and shimmering, add the prepared onion, carrots, and fennel bulb. Immediately season with the teaspoon of salt and let cook till the onions are softened and translucent, about three minutes, mixing occasionally.
2. Once your onions are softened, add the teaspoon of coriander and let the coriander toast for about thirty seconds or until aromatic, stirring constantly. Add the half teaspoon of black pepper and six cups of broth. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce heat to low and let simmer for 25 minutes.
3. Add the pulled chicken, wild rice and kale. Let simmer for five more minutes until the chicken is warm and the kale is Remove your pot from the heat and add the lemon juice and fennel fronds or dill. Enjoy immediately.

*NOTE: Whole Foods sells a great 8.8 oz prepared package of mixed wild rice. They’re super convenient as you don’t have to take the time to cook the rice prior to adding it to the soup. You can find the link here. If you aren’t planning on eating your soup immediately, wait to add the rice to the soup before eating so that the rice does not absorb the vegetable broth and become totally soggy.

**If you bought a fennel bulb that does not have any fennel fronds, feel free to add other fresh herbs to your soup. My favorite is dill but you can also use parsley, chives, or cilantro.