Roasted Tomato Fennel Leek Soup

Roasted Tomato Fennel Leek Soup

With the cooler temperatures, my mind (and stomach!) automatically turn to soup. Although I dearly love fresh tomatoes and fennel in salads, they are absolutely incredible when roasted along with leeks, and then pureed into a delicious, low-fat, and nutrient-rich soup. In fact, this soup is so good that I ate the entire first test batch in one sitting (yes. By myself. It really is that good!). The tomatoes are rich in the antioxidant lycopene, vitamin C, folate, and potassium. Leeks are a fantastic source of fiber, vitamins A, C, and K, iron, and manganese. Fennel also provides fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and manganese. Each of these components assist in facilitating overall healthy body functioning, including repair of cellular damage and supporting a healthy immune system, making this soup an excellent choice for an immune-boosting dish. Roasting the vegetables allows the sugars in them to caramelize, creating a lovely darker color and fabulous flavor that shines in this simple soup. Although you can lightly drizzle olive oil on your vegetables prior to roasting them, you do not need to. They will still caramelize beautifully!

Ingredients:

3 cups of tomatoes, chopped (or one 28-ounce can of whole, peeled or diced tomatoes if you do not like tomato peels in your soup)

1 fennel bulb, cut into eighths

1 large leek, center sliced into rings

4 cloves garlic

3 cups low-sodium veggie broth

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon curry powder

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (or more if you prefer spicy food)

Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Line two large baking trays with parchment paper. Place chopped tomatoes and garlic on one, and spread evenly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and set aside.

3. Place sliced cut and sliced sections of fennel bulb and leeks on the second lined baking tray and spread evenly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and set aside.

4. Roast the tomato mixture and onion/fennel the mixture in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring and tossing midway through roasting.

5. Remove from oven and carefully transfer to a large pot. Add the broth and spices, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook another 15 minutes.

6. Turn off the heat. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can carefully transfer the soup to a blender and blend in small batches.

7. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Information: Serving size: 1/4 recipe | Servings per recipe: 4 | Calories: 86.9, total fat: 0.4 g, saturated fat: 0.1 g, cholesterol: 0 mg, sodium: 333.3 mg , carbohydrates: 18.3 g, fiber: 3.9 g, sugar: 9 g, protein: 3.1 g

Last updated December 13, 2021