Autumn Soup #1-Cauliflower, Leek and Fennel

I love soups and I love vegetables. Cream based soups tend to be fatty and overly rich so I invented a few healthy soups. The first one was a curry, carrot and squash soup. It was warm, spicy and tangy. We ate it so quickly that I did not a get a chance to take a photo. This is my second soup this week. I figure this is a great way for us to get our vegetables. I added a bit of crèma deliciosa (I think this is the Italian word or sour cream or creme fraiche) for richness and tang.

Here’s the recipe:

1 leek, cleaned and sliced thinly
1 med. head of cauliflower, cut up in florets
1 large fennel, diced
chicken broth
½ t. white pepper
½ t. salt

1. Sauté the leeks in some olive oil until soft, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the cauliflower and fennel and sauté for an additional 10 minutes.
3. Add enough stock to barely cover the vegetables. Add salt and pepper.
4. Cook until the vegetables are tender about 20-30 minutes.
5. Cool a bit, put the soup into the blender and puree, at this point you can pass the soup through a fine mesh sieve or not.
6. Serve warm and with a dollop of crème fraiche.