Making soup is one of my most satisfying cooking activities and it is something that I do often. Most of the soups that I make start the same way with a mirepoix, which quite simply is a mixture of onion, carrot and celery. This particular soup, Cream of Fennel and Gruyere Soup with Sherry is unique in that it only includes two vegetables, and has a subtle flavour with a silky bisque-like texture.
This versatile soup can be served hot, warm, room temperature or cold in vichyssoise style. It can be made ahead and refrigerated. For longer storage, I freeze the soup base in FoodSaver pouches and add the cream and cheese when the soup is thawed and rewarmed for serving.
This is a Fennel Bulb – a delicious vegetable that provides completely different flavours when eaten raw, cooked, or roasted
Cream of Fennel and Gruyere Soup with Sherry
CHEF TALK: This recipe has been adapted from a recipe that the wonderful chefs at the Jasper Park Lodge in Alberta, Canada utilized at one of their very first Christmas in November events. For a gluten-free version, substitute the all-purpose flour for an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend.
INGREDIENTS:
- 190 g butter (6.75 oz)
- 190 g onion, diced (about 1 medium onion)
- 375 g fennel, sliced (13 oz) (about 1 large fennel bulb)
- 190 g all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend (approximately 1 ½ cups)
- 2 L chicken stock (8 cups)
- 500 ml 35% heavy cream (2 cups)
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
- 500 g Gruyere Cheese, grated (about 5 cups)
- 125 ml sherry, optional or to taste (1/2 cup)
METHOD:
- Preheat the Dutch Oven over medium heat. Add the butter and allow to melt.
- Sauté the fennel and onions until softened.
- Add the flour to make a roux. Mix through the vegetables and continue to stir to cook out the flour. (about three minutes).
- Add the chicken stock and continue to stir to incorporate the liquid.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the fennel and onions are tender.
- Puree the soup with an immersion blender until very smooth (or a blender).
- Strain the soup to achieve a silky smooth soup. (This will eliminate the fennel fibre which you will discard)
- Add the heavy cream.
- Season to taste.
- Add the grated Gruyere cheese and whisk until smooth.
- Add the sherry, if using, and stir into the soup.
TO SERVE: Serve the soup hot, warm, room temperature or cold. Garnish the soup with a fennel frond, or chopped chives, or crispy onions, or bacon bits.
Fennel Soup Garnished with Crispy Onion and Bacon Bits
Here are your visual step-by-step instructions how to make Cream of Fennel and Gruyere Soup with Sherry:
This is a Fennel Bulb – a delicious vegetable that provides completely different flavours when eaten raw, cooked, or roasted
Fennel Chopped for Cream of Fennel Soup
Saute the fennel and onion in butter until softened
Add the flour to make a roux
Elegant Cream of Fennel soup with Gruyere is garnished with crispy bacon and onions and a fennel frond
Please CLICK the link above to access my UrbnSpice LEARNING TIPS, which are listed alphabetically on the Learning Tips blog post under the following subheadings:
- Cream
- Immersion Blender
- Straining
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You Might Also Like These UrbnSpice Soup Recipes:
Roasted Butternut Squash and Caramelized Pear
French Canadian Yellow Split Pea with Ham and Smoked Sea Salt
Favourite Kitchen Tools: My Immersion Blender
If you give this recipe for Cream of Fennel and Gruyere Soup with Sherry a try, please leave me a comment below with your feedback.
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Denise Paré-Watson
The Urbnspice Chef
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I absolutely love fresh fennel, this looks delicious.
Thank you, Ayngelina – I also love fresh fennel. I hope you give this soup a try. It is quite delicious. Thanks for your comments and your visit to UrbnSpice.
I love the idea of using fennel as the star of the soup instead of just a flavouring. And the cheese would be amazing in there. Yum!
Thank you, Colleen. The fennel is definitely the star in this recipe. It is so elegant, this soup. Thanks for your comments.
The “soup maker” in our house is Loreto. I cannot compete with his amazing soups, chunky, or creamy. This soup looks and sounds so good, with nice harmonious flavors. I can definitely see it work cold like a vichyssoise. Love love the beautiful topping!
Thank you, Nicoletta. I hope that Loreto makes this silky soup for you as a first course for a special date night. I think you will love it. Thank you for kind comments and for visiting me on UrbnSpice. I always enjoy hearing from you.
This looks like such a yummy soup, Denise!! I absolutely love the flavour of fennel and that with gruyere must be absolutely amazing! I’d love a big bowl right now with some buttery, crusty bread – I’d be set 😉 Happy Friday!
Happy Friday, Dawn! It is a very yummy soup, indeed. It is such a delicate soup, subtle with the fennel and elegant in texture, which is why I referred to the term bisque-like. I hope you get a chance to try it. If you do, let me know how you liked it. Thanks for your comments 🙂
I love fennel cream! It makes a good pasta sauce too! I never thought to use Gruyere with it though! I will have to try this.. it sounds like a match made in heaven!
I can absolutely imagine this soup as a pasta sauce, Carolyn (with crispy bacon lardons and perhaps some seared scallops, right?)! Now you have me thinking 🙂 Let me know if you try it – I am excited to hear what you think. Thanks so much for your comments!
I’ve never tried this before! It sounds delicious!
Thanks, Carmy! I think you will enjoy this delectable soup if you have a chance to try it. Thanks for your comment. 🙂
Wow! This looks so amazing. So smooth and creamy.
A good soup can easily be the star of the meal.
Thank you, Melissa! It is such an amazing soup. I have made it as a starter, first course and for the main part of the meal. It is a very versatile soup. Hope you get to try it:)
Love fennel! I particulairly like the addition of the gruyere here to offset the sweetness in the fennel. I bet it makes the soup seem even creamier!
Thanks for your comments, Markus. I love fennel, as well. It is such an under-appreciated vegetable, isn’t it? It is one of the most luxurious soups that I have ever made. If you try it, please let me know how you like it. Cheers!