Something slightly hearty, that’s fresh and perfect for spring. I wanted to make something with few ingredients that’s quick with loads of flavor. Let’s get to it!

Serves 2 people

Ingredients:

• 1 Large Fennel Bulb
• ³/4 Lb Sweet Italian sausage (casing removed)
• 2 Cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth
• 1 c Non-Dairy milk (I used coconut, but cashew or almond milk would be even better)
• Salt to taste

1. Start By heating a heavy bottomed pot on medium and add your sausage. Cook the sausage until it’s cooked through and crumbled nicely, about 5-8 minutes. There is going to be browning on the bottom of the pot, but this is what you want, this is flavor.
2. While the sausage is cooking prep you fennel, remove the top of the fennel and save some fronds for garnish at the end. Cut your fennel bulb in quarters to easily remove the core, then thinly slice the fennel.
3. Now that your sausage is cooked, set it aside in a bowl leaving in some of the sausage fat. keeping the heat at medium add the Fennel and start to sweat it till it becomes caramelized and translucent.
4. Add your garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Deglaze with chicken broth making sure all the brown bits are off the bottom add your milk and simmer for about 10 minutes until fennel is soft.
5. Turn off heat on stove and slightly blend the soup until it begins to look some what thick, but not completely smooth. Add the sausage back in and serve in a bowl and garnish the top with your saved fennel fronds and a drizzle of olive oil.

Some tips:

1. If you want a different flavor profile, you can cut the fennel in half and coat with oil and roast or grill it to bring out more of it’s licorice flavor. Cool it then cut it before adding it to your pot.
2. If you like your soup of the spicier side, definitely use spicy sausage, it’ll be a nice kick.
3. This soup if pretty light, and would go great with fresh bread of a side salad.