For a quick and delicious dinner what goes better with a crisp green salad, than a Summer Tomato Soup with Fennel. This recipe has the bite of fennel and leeks to make it my favorite version! When selecting tomatoes for your soups, make sure they are fresh, with no wrinkled skin or too soft to touch, which denotes their old. Try and grow your own tomatoes in your garden or a large pot, because there is nothing in comparison to the market tomatoes. Attend farmer’s market for fresh flavored tomatoes. If you don’t have a food processor for this recipe, use a hand blender, or food mill to smooth out your soup. As you can see in the picture, I like mine a little chunky. Serve this up with a plain salad and you have a simple but flavorful meal.

A Few Tips on Fresh Tomatoes

• Vitamin C, potassium, folate, and vitamin K are beneficial nutrients for your body.
• Lycopene is one of the most abundant plant compounds in tomatoes. It’s found in the highest concentrations in tomato products, such as ketchup, juice, paste, and sauce.
• Studies show that tomatoes and tomato products may reduce your risk of heart disease and several cancers. This fruit is also beneficial for skin health, as it may protect against sunburns.
• For more information go to: Healthline Tomatoes 101 .

If you have room to grow your own tomatoes, do so for they contain higher amount of nutrients. These are from my garden where I grow 8 different varieties. Look for organic tomatoes at your nursery when shopping tomatoes.

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Summer Tomato and Fennel Soup

Tomato and fennel with leeks makes a flavorful soup for home and guests.

Course Lunch or Dinner

Cuisine California

Keyword fennel, soup, tomato

Author Mary Papoulias-Platis

Ingredients

• 1 large leek, sliced in 1/4 inch pieces, white only
• 1 large fennel bulb, stalks and leaves removed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups homemade stock or low-sodium in a box or can
• 2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped (about 6 tomatoes)
• ¾ teaspoon salt, less if using canned broth
• 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
• Freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1. Leek: Cut off and discard the top of the leek, where it becomes light green.

2. Cut in half and rinse until all dirt is gone.
3. Thinly slice the leek into ¼’ pieces.
4. Fennel: Cut the bulb in half and cut out the center. Slice into ¼ inch pieces.

5. Peel tomatoes with a serrated peeler, or with a sharp knife make an x on the bottom of each tomato and place in a simmering water for a few minutes and peel. Remove seeds and coarsely chop.

6. Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the leek and cook for 8 minutes until softened and translucent, but not browned.

7. Add the fennel, stock, chopped tomatoes, and salt (omit if using canned or boxed).

8. Bring the soup to a boil; reduce heat to low and cook until fennel is soft, very important. About 30 minutes.
9. Add the tarragon.
10. Transfer soup to a food processor in small batches and blend until pureed.
11. Return to the pot and taste for salt and pepper. Reheat and serve.

This wonderful recipe is adapted from ” The Herbfarm Cookbook”

Have all your ingredients ready and prepared.

Saute the leek.

Add the fennel, stock, and tomatoes.

Cook until fennel is tender.

Add the tarragon.

Puree in the blender in small batches.

You may also enjoy my other tomato recipes:

Fresh Tomato Risotto

Tomato Stuffed with Quinoa

Tomatoes with Roasted Corn Salad

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