T&T REC: Tomato and Fennel Bean soup
From: PAM in OHIO (pmr@cbstp2.att.com)
Tomato And Fennel Bean Soup (30Jan)
Found this recipe in a recent issue of
COUNTRY LIVING. Tried it for dinner Sunday
night, along with some cheese biscuits. Picky,
meat-loving husband smacked his lips and asked
for more.
Tomato and Fennel Bean Soup
1 T olive oil
1 medium-size bulb fennel, trimmed and chopped,
reserving some feathery tops
1 medium-size onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 t dried oregano leaves
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes in thick puree
3 cups water
1 T brown sugar
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup uncooked white rice
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 t ground black pepper
6 T grated Parmesan cheese
1. In a 4-quart saucepot, heat oil over medium
heat. Add chopped fennel and onion; saute
5 minutes. Add garlic and oregano; cook 2
minutes. Strain tomatoes, reserving liquid.
Seed and coarsely chop tomatoes; add to fennel
mixture. Stir in reserved tomato liquid, water,
brown sugar, and salt. Heat to boiling over
high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer
15 minutes.
2. Add rice to soup; cover and cook 20 to
25 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in
black beans and black pepper; cook 5 minutes.
Divide soup among 6 serving bowls and top
each with 1 T cheese. Finely chop enough of the
reserved fennel tops to produce 1 T; then
sprinkle some over each bowl of soup and serve.
Per serving: 4 grams fat; 7 grams fiber; 215 calories.
Of course, since I consider every new recipe
merely a suggestion, I did alter this a bit.
I thought that this combo cried out for white
beans, not black ones, so I used a 20-ounce
can of cannellini in place of the can of black
beans. Then, I could not find whole tomatoes
in puree so settled for crushed ones in heavy
puree. And, finally, a couple of dashes of
Red Hot Sauce for a bit of a kick! Enjoy!
