Ingredients
Scale
- 5 ounces bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 bulb fennel, very thinly sliced (with fronds reserved for later)
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
- chopped fresh chives, for topping
Instructions
- Cook the bacon. Heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and sauté, stirring occasionally, until cooked and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a clean bowl, leaving the grease behind.
- Sauté the fennel and onion. Immediately add the fennel, onion and fennel seeds to the pot with the bacon grease. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring every minute or two so that the edges can get a bit browned and caramelized. Add the garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring more frequently.
- Simmer. Add the broth, potatoes, rosemary, crushed red pepper flakes, and a few twists of black pepper. Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer. Then reduce heat to maintain the simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
- Season. Taste and season with additional salt and black pepper if needed.
- Serve. Serve warm, garnished with the cooked bacon, chopped fennel fronds, and lots of chopped fresh chives. Enjoy!