If you find yourself craving cozy comfort food, this easy carrot and fennel soup recipe is exactly what you should make. It’s simple, nourishing, and deliciously unexpected!
Carrot and Fennel Soup will WOW your tastebuds!
Carrot soup is likely the last thing most folks would go out of their way to eat. A bowl full of boiled, bright orange mush isn’t exactly what comes to mind when you want to pamper your taste buds.
But this recipe will change your mind about carrot soup… forever!
Why?
Because all the other recipes are missing fennel!
Fennel and Carrots are PERFECT PARTNERS!
Yup, those white, crisp, thick bulbs are what bring flavor to this carrot soup in a major way that makes this soup memorable. In this recipe, you’ll slice and saute it (which brings out its sweet and aromatic notes) and soak up that goodness by creating a braised beef (or vegetable) broth that makes carrots “pop” and (and your mouth drop).
Braising your broth (with fennel) is the secret technique to getting tasty carrot soup!
Don’t worry, “braising” is easy. It’s just a fancy term pro chefs use anytime you sear vegetables or meat in a hot pan, then simmer them in a flavorful liquid, low and slow to develop complex flavors.
And baby those “complex” flavors are what have you licking your lips (and wiping the spoon and bowl completely clean).
I never thought I’d see the day when my southern, stubborn, sixty-something-year-old dad would eat an entire bowl of carrot and fennel soup, request seconds, and then demand leftovers the following day!
Yup, that’s how unexpectedly delicious braising your broth makes this soup!
There’s nothing better than grabbing a jar (or two) of creamy carrot and fennel soup off the shelf and into bowls on a busy weeknight or lazy weekend. And, for sure, darling, this dish is so delicious that it’s perfectly fine to eat by its lonesome, but if you’ve got a hesitant husband or cautious kids, add toppings (ideas below) which are the best distraction!
(Plus, there ain’t no good reason to have plain soup if you can make it “fancy-schmancy” with very little effort.) And, why not take the opportunity to ingest some nutrients and fiber in a recipe you and your family will come to love?
Easy Soup Toppings for Carrot and Fennel Soup
When you’re ready to eat, portion the creamy carrot soup into bowls and garnish with a swirl of coconut milk, top with fresh cilantro, thyme, sage (or all three) for a forthright herb flavor. You can also add toasted pumpkin seeds for crunch, rice, or beans to make things extra savory or filling. Carrot and fennel soup is also fantastic with a salad or a side of crusty bread or a grilled quesadilla.
Just do you, boo. Carrot soup is a canvas and it’s hard to get the fixings or measurements of anything wrong!
- Southwest Carrot and Black Bean Soup– Add a southwest fusion of flavor to carrot soup by adding black beans, fried onions, and cilantro. So delicious!
- Quinoa & Carrot Soup: Heap a base of carrot soup with quinoa, avocado, and cilantro. This bowl is a gorgeous nutritional powerhouse!
- Skirt Steak Cabbage and Carrot Soup: This soup is delicious and healthy while still giving you a good dose of protein and veggies!
Carrot and Fennel Soup | Pressure Canning Recipe
Soup Ingredients
That’s another thing I love about this easy carrot soup recipe – you’ll only need a handful of ingredients:
- Carrots, of course! They give the soup its sweet flavor, vibrant color, and luscious texture.
- Fennel Bulbs – compliments the sweetness of the carrots, while introducing subtle notes of mildly spicy aromatics and aniseed flavor.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – Essential for sauteing to bring out the character and flavor of your vegetables.
- Beef or Vegetable broth – Adds a savory note that rounds out the texture. You can use store-bought broth or bouillon, or make your own.
- White Pepper- Milder and brighter than black pepper (it’s worth the find).
- Redmond Sea salt – Makes all the flavors pop!
Watch How to Make Carrot Soup in this Video!
Check out the tutorial and Youtube video to see just how simple carrot and fennel soup is to make. You’ll especially enjoy it when I show how perfect this soup is as a base for any lunch or dinner!
Let’s Make Carrot & Fennel Soup!
Creamy Carrot and Fennel Soup | Pressure Canning Recipe
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
- 6 Ball® (32 oz) quart or 12 (16 oz) pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands
Ingredients
- 2 bulbs fennel sliced thin
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 lbs carrots, peeled and sliced
- 6 cups beef or vegetable stock
- 6 cups water
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- Redmond Real Salt, to taste, optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy enamel soup pot over moderate heat. Slice fennel to remove fronds and ends then transfer to the pot and saute until transparent, stirring frequently.
- Add carrots and beef or vegetable stock. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat slightly. Simmer gently, partially covered, until carrots are tender.
- Remove the soup from the heat and spoon into a food processor. Process until smooth, then stir puree back into the pot. (NOTE: If you won't want to deal with the messy transition of placing your hot soup inside a regular blender, you can use a hand immersion blender instead. Be sure the soup isn't boiling and has cooled a bit.)
- Add water and bring to a simmer. Taste the soup, adding salt or pepper if necessary. Increase the heat and bring to a lively simmer for an additional 30 minutes.
- Ladle hot soup into hot jars leaving 1-inch headspace. Use a de-bubbler to remove air bubbles. Clean jar rims by wiping with warm water or distilled vinegar. Center lid on jar and adjust band to finger-tip-tight. Pleace the rack in a pressure canner containing 2 inches of simmering water (180 degrees Fahrenheit). Repeat until all jars are filled. *You must process at least 2 quart jars or 4 pint ars in the pressure canner at one time to ensure safe processing.
- Place the lid on the canner and turn to the locked position. Adjust heat to medium-high. Vent steam for 10 minutes. Then, put a weighted gauge on the vent; bring pressure to 10 lbs (psi). Process quart jars for 50 minutes and pint jars for 40 minutes, adjusting for altitude, according to your pressure canners directions.
- Turn off heat and cool the canner to zero pressure. Let stand for 5 more minutes before removing the lid. Let the jars cool in the canner for 10 minutes.
- Remove jars from the canner; do not tighten bands if loose. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. A safely sealed jar lid will not flex up and down when the center is pressed. Label and store jars.
Is this Recipe Approved as Safe?
YES! That’s because I only share tested home canning recipes inspired by reputable sources. I take safe canning practices very seriously, so this (and any) recipe that appears on my blog or YouTube channel will:
- Use only recipe methods that follow safe and science-based guidelines published by the United States Department of Agriculture, National Center for Home Food Preservation, and Jarden companies like Ball and Bernardin.
- Source all information so that you can follow it back to the canning authorities where the recipe originated. I know this makes nearly every other word in my blog post look like a lit-up Christmas tree, but I want you to be a confident, informed canner too, so I’m very transparent about any modifications I include.
My goal with publicly sharing canning recipes is to inspire you to create your own healthier, better-tasting, and usually cheaper convenience foods. And, to show how canning food in the modern world still makes sense! Above all, I want you to be both safe and successful in your canning efforts. For this reason, I’ll always link to the approved NCHFP canning recipes and encourage you to make a small investment in purchasing the most updated preservation books and equipment I use in my own kitchen.
Tips for Making and Canning Carrot Soup
- Start with fresh seasonal carrots. Now, these can be ones that were frozen or bought fresh, but the sweet, aromatic taste of seasonal carrots can’t be beaten. You can absolutely use frozen carrots too!
- If you don’t have fennel on hand and want to substitute it with onions or celery-DON’T DO IT! Looks can fool ya and onions aren’t related to fennel by a long shot (and those fennel fronds don’t taste like dill either). Fennel bulbs are actually in the same family as carrots! To be sure, fennel bulbs are pricier than onion or celery, but this is the recipe to treat yourself and diversify the tastes you have in your pantry. Just trust me on this, ok?
- If you haven’t used white pepper before, give it a go. White pepper is milder and brighter than black pepper and you’ll appreciate its subtle flavor complexity in a way that provides a welcome contrast to black pepper.
- Go with a quality beef (or vegetable) broth. This can either be one that you’ve made with homemade jars where you had a combination of really good scraps or your favorite store brand, but the pairing of fennel and savory broth is essential. Don’t skimp-you’ll taste the difference. The braised fennel broth is what makes this soup so satisfying!
- Keep this recipe basic. One, it’s delicious enough to hold its own weight. Two, you can add all the other fixings and seasonings later. I’m a canner that really likes to keep her options open so I love keeping this recipe quick and simple.
- Save your carrot tops! They have a slightly bitter taste but can be used in pesto, soups, and salads!
Happy Carrot Soup Canning,
Cassandra
