Here is one more Healthy, Nutritious Flavourful Fennel Soup and this time with the goodness of Turmeric and Walnuts. Turmeric is of course no stranger to my Indian kitchen, however I don't generally use it in Soup. It adds to the flavour and appearance of this Turmeric Walnuts Fennel Soup, and the honey I drizzled on it before serving, pleasantly set off both the fennel and the turmeric. The apple and walnuts gave a body to the soup, while the raw green mango added just a hint of tartness. I have been experimenting with edible flowers recently, adding them to various dishes. For this Turmeric Walnuts Fennel Soup, I had a choice of dried but bright calendula, fresh purple basil flowers and yellow arugula flowers. I chose the purple basil flowers for garnish as they gave a nice contrast to the yellow of the Fennel soup, and added a subtle flavour of basil too.
This recipe for Turmeric Walnuts Fennel Soup is adapted from the Leek-Fennel-Apple + Walnut Soup with Turmeric from The First Mess. I saw it first on Pinterest and the colour of the soup as well as the combination of ingredients was intriguing, so when I got this delivery of fresh green fennel, I thought I should try it for myself.
If you have been following my Blog, you will know by now that I cook with zero pesticide vegetables and greens from First Agro Farms, and that I use dry fruits, berries or nuts, of one kind or the other in almost every dish, thus adding to the nutrient value of the food. Soups in particular get a creamy thickness when nuts are pureed along with the other ingredients.
I had on hand all the ingredients that I needed for the soup. The Turmeric Walnuts Fennel Soup tasted even better when warmed up after a day in the fridge. I woke up with a heavy cold and without the energy to prepare any food. I toasted some home made bread and heated up the soup, made an effort and garnished it with walnuts and basil flowers, added a spoonful of raw honey. It tasted so delicious and was filling, gave me just the boost I needed!
Fennel Turmeric Walnut Soup with Apple and Raw Mango
Ingredients
For the Soup:
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
- ¼ cup leek - stems chopped
- 2 cups fennel - Bulb sliced
- ¼ cup mango - Raw sliced
- 1 cup apple - Red sliced
- ½ cup Walnuts - shelled
- 2 tablespoons thyme - Fresh leaves
- 1 tablespoon turmeric - powder
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper - Ground
For the Garnish:
- honey
- pepper - Ground
- fennel - Fronds
- Walnuts - (shelled)
- basil - Edible Flowers (or other edible flowers)
Instructions
Prepare the Ingredients: Time about 10 minutes
- Toast the walnuts lightly on a hot pan for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, taking care not to let them burn. Reserve some for the garnish.
- Clean the leeks and cut the white and a little of the tender green stems into rounds. Clean the fennel, core and chop the bulb. Reserve a few of the fronds for garnish. Core and slice the apple. I don't usually peel the apple, but you could if you wish.
- Core and slice the apple. I don't usually peel the apple, but you could if you wish.
- Peel and dice a slice of raw mango. The mango was tart in taste and I used just a slice in order not to let it overpower the dish.
- Mince the thyme leaves.
To make the Fennel Turmeric Walnut Soup: Time about 40 minutes
- Heat a deep pan or soup pot, and add the oil. I used sunflower oil for the flavour, but of course you could use any other oil without a strong aroma.
- Add the chopped leeks and the thyme and saute for about 3-4 minutes, till the leeks are soft.
- Add the fennel, mango and apple and stir.
- Add the walnuts and stir. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the turmeric and stir well for 2-3 minutes, till the raw smell disappears.
- Saute for 3-4 minutes till everything begins to soften.
- Add the stock, stir. Bring the soup to a boil and then let it simmer on low for about 15 minutes, stirring periodically.
- Turn off the stove and let the soup cool.
- Puree or blend the soup to a smooth creamy liquid. Remember not to puree when the liquid is hot, and to puree it in very small batches. I have had many a bitter experience in pureeing soup only to have it spurt out of the blender all over me and the kitchen. And this soup has turmeric which has strong dyeing properties - so!
- Pour the pureed liquid back into the soup pot, bring to a boil and then simmer. Check the seasoning, add more salt or pepper if required, and then again simmer for 5 minutes.
- Serve hot with a garnish of toasted sliced walnuts, a few chopped fennel fronds and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup. I have garnished with purple basil flowers and the edible flowers add another dimension of flavour to the Soup.
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