Winter White Fennel Bisque
Soup makes for a gentle transition to dinner, whether it be a sit-down meal or a casual buffet. Served in warm demitasse cups, it won’t try your guests’ appetites too much.
These rich vegetable soups can be made well ahead of time and even frozen. The trick is adding just enough cream to give them a smooth finish. You’ll find that a little cream goes a long way.
For the best results, cook the vegetables until they’re very soft and puree in a blender, in two batches if necessary. Let them cool off before pureeing; the splatters can be very hot.
Heat butter in 3-quart pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add onion and cook, stirring until soft, about 6 minutes.
Add fennel and parsnips to pan along with 1 1/4 cans broth, salt and dash pepper. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until all vegetables are very soft, about 25 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
Strain vegetables from liquid, reserving both. Puree vegetables in blender with 1/4 cup reserved greens. Add some liquid and puree until mixture is very smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Return to pot. Stir in cream. (Can be made ahead up to this point and refrigerated 2 days or frozen up to 1 month. To serve, gently reheat until hot; do not boil. Add more broth or water if soup is too thick.) Taste; adjust seasoning. Serve hot garnished with reserved greens.
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