Roasted Tomato and Fennel Soup

Name: Roasted Tomato and Fennel Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 lbs (900 g) Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise, halved lengthwise, seeds scooped out slightly; 1 large bulb (about 1 lb / 450 g) (450 g) fennel bulb with stalks, trimmed, halved lengthwise, cut into 1-inch wedges; 6 cloves garlic cloves, unpeeled, unpeeled, left whole; 4 tbsp (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided (2 tbsp for roasting, 2 tbsp for finishing); to taste kosher salt; to taste freshly ground black pepper; 3½ cups (840 ml) vegetable broth; ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream, cold, at room temperature; 6 leaves fresh basil leaves, torn (optional); ¼ tsp (½ g) fennel pollen (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A silky Italian-inspired soup where fresh tomatoes and fennel are roasted until caramelized and sweet, then blended with garlic-infused broth and finished with cream. The roasting concentrates flavors and adds depth, while the fennel brings subtle anise notes that complement the tomatoes beautifully. Perfect as a starter or light main course.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 50 min
Wait: 10 min
Total: 1 hr 15 min
Makes: 4 servings (about 5 cups)

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Ingredients

4 servings

2 lbs (900 g) Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise, halved lengthwise, seeds scooped out slightly
1 large bulb (about 1 lb / 450 g) (450 g) fennel bulb with stalks, trimmed, halved lengthwise, cut into 1-inch wedges
6 cloves garlic cloves, unpeeled, unpeeled, left whole
4 tbsp (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided (2 tbsp for roasting, 2 tbsp for finishing)
to taste kosher salt
to taste freshly ground black pepper
3½ cups (840 ml) vegetable broth
½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream, cold, at room temperature
6 leaves fresh basil leaves, torn (optional)
¼ tsp (0.5 g) fennel pollen (optional)

Equipment (4)

Large rimmed baking sheet (18×13 inches / 45×33 cm)
Large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven (5-quart / 5-liter)
Immersion blender or upright blender
Fine-mesh strainer (optional, for silky texture)

Steps

Before you start

Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C)
Have your vegetable broth ready—homemade is best, but store-bought works fine
Keep a fine-mesh strainer nearby for optional silky-smooth texture

1
Roast the vegetablesOven 425°F / 220°C
- Spread tomato halves cut-side down and fennel wedges on a large rimmed baking sheet.
- Tuck the unpeeled garlic cloves among the vegetables.
- Drizzle with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil, sprinkle generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Roast in a preheated 425°F (220°C) oven for 35–40 minutes, until the tomato skins are blistered and beginning to blacken at the edges, and the fennel is tender and caramelized at the cut sides.
- The garlic should be completely soft when squeezed.
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Ready when: Tomato skins are blistered and blackened; fennel is deeply caramelized; garlic cloves are completely soft
Tip: Arrange tomatoes cut-side down to maximize browning and concentrate the juices in the pan.
2
Cool and peel garlic
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
- Squeeze the soft garlic cloves out of their skins into a small bowl and discard the skins.
- Set aside.
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Ready when: Garlic is cool enough to squeeze from skin without burning fingers
3
Deglaze the baking sheet
- Pour 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the vegetable broth onto the warm baking sheet and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the caramelized bits stuck to the pan.
- This fond is pure flavor.
- Let it sit for 1 minute to fully loosen everything.
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Ready when: Pan is clean and all caramelized bits are dissolved into the liquid
Tip: Don't skip deglazing—this is where deep, concentrated flavor hides.
4
Transfer to pot and simmer
- Pour the deglazing liquid from the baking sheet into a large heavy-bottomed pot.
- Add the roasted tomatoes, fennel, roasted garlic, and the remaining 3 cups (720 ml) vegetable broth.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce heat to medium-low.
- Simmer gently for 10 minutes to marry the flavors, stirring occasionally.
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Ready when: Broth is gently steaming and simmering; vegetables have begun to break down slightly
Tip: Keep the heat low—a gentle simmer prevents cream from breaking when added later.
5
Blend the soup
- Using an immersion blender, puree the soup directly in the pot, working in batches if needed, until completely smooth.
- If you prefer an extra-silky texture, pour the blended soup through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean pot, pressing gently on solids with the back of a spoon to extract all the liquid and pulp; discard the fibrous bits.
- Return the strained soup to the pot.
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Ready when: Soup is uniformly smooth with no visible chunks
Tip: Blend in bursts rather than continuously to avoid overworking the soup and introducing too much air.
6
Finish with cream and seasonings
- Set the pot over medium-low heat if it has cooled.
- Stir in the cold heavy cream slowly, whisking gently to incorporate smoothly without lumps.
- Taste the soup and adjust with additional kosher salt and black pepper.
- If using fennel pollen, sprinkle it in now—it will deepen the fennel note without overpowering.
- Warm through for 2 minutes but do not boil.
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Ready when: Soup is steaming and uniform in color; cream is fully incorporated with no visible streaks
Tip: Add cream off the heat or keep heat very low—high heat can cause the cream to separate or break.
7
Serve
- Ladle the soup into warm bowls.
- Drizzle each serving with a small amount of the reserved 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil.
- Garnish with torn fresh basil leaves if desired.
- Serve hot.
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Tip: Serve in warmed bowls so the soup stays hot longer.

Good to know

Tips

Roasting is the key to depth: don't skip it or rush it. The caramelization concentrates tomato sugars and deepens the fennel's natural sweetness.
Use quality tomatoes—farmers' market Roma or San Marzano varieties in season yield the most flavorful soup. Off-season, canned San Marzano tomatoes (about 28 oz / 800 g, drained) are a better choice than pale fresh ones.
The soup can be made entirely smooth or left slightly chunky depending on preference. If you like texture, skip the straining step and blend for just 2–3 minutes instead of until completely smooth.
A drizzle of good olive oil on each bowl at the end is not optional—it adds fat-soluble flavor compounds and richness that finishing without it cannot achieve.

Make ahead

Roast the tomatoes, fennel, and garlic up to 1 day ahead; store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Complete the soup (through blending) up to 2 days ahead. Reheat gently over medium-low heat, then stir in the cream just before serving to ensure the best texture.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: not recommended (dairy content). Refrigerator: up to 3 days in an airtight container. To reheat, warm over medium-low heat on the stovetop, stirring occasionally, until steaming. Do not boil. Freezer: up to 2 months (freeze without the cream). Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, reheat as above, then stir in fresh cream when serving. The cream can separate slightly after freezing, so gently whisking while reheating helps restore smoothness.

Substitutions

heavy cream, cold → crème fraîche or sour cream. Use the same amount; both add tang and richness. Sour cream may curdle if boiled, so add it off heat or at very low temperature.
fennel bulb with stalks → 1 large white onion (about 12 oz / 340 g) plus 1/2 tsp fennel seeds. You'll lose the fennel's delicate sweetness, but the seeds provide some anise flavor. Increase the fennel pollen to 1/2 tsp if using this swap.
vegetable broth → chicken broth or light white wine (use 1 cup / 240 ml wine plus 2.5 cups / 600 ml broth). Both deepen the soup. Wine adds acidity and sophistication but ensure the wine is one you'd drink—cheap wine can leave an off flavor.
fresh basil leaves → fresh parsley or a pinch of tarragon. Parsley is more neutral; tarragon adds a subtle licorice note that complements fennel but use sparingly.