Mushroom Soup with Fennel and Parmesan Toasts.

Serves 4 Author Notes This soup is adapted from a recipe that comes from my mother. It’s a great weekend lunch dish — it’s relatively light yet satisfying, and the fennel and mushrooms give it a strong flavor without hours of simmering. Adding the croutons before pouring the soup into bowls is a technique we picked up from eating French Soupe de Poisson and Italian Ribollita — the bread is softened and gives additional body to the soup. —Savour Ingredients For the Soup 1 Fennel Bulb, thinly sliced 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, washed and roughly chopped 1/2 onion, finely chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 5 cups chicken stock For the Croutons 12 thin slices baguette 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated 1 tablespoon olive oil Additional parmesan to serve Directions Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Brush Bread slices with olive oil, arrange on cookie sheet, and bake in oven until crisp, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle croutons with parmesan cheese, return to the oven, and bake until cheese is melted. Meanwhile, saute fennel, mushrooms, onion and garlic in olive oil over medium low heat in a soup pot until vegetables are softened but not brown. Add stock to pot, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Puree soup with a stick blender (or transfer to a food processor to puree). To serve, lay parmesan croutons in a shallow bowl. Pour hot soup over the croutons, and garnish with additional parmesan and fennel fronds. I’m a Los Angeles based home cook with a full time job and 2 young kids, so my recipes tend to be accessible to busy people. I firmly believe that anyone can cook good, everyday meals from scratch with sufficient tools and encouragement, and I try to create meals that are delicious, wholesome and not too intimidating. Most of my favorite recipes tend to be twists on a classic dish that makes it new and exciting.

Mushroom Soup with Fennel and Parmesan Toasts.