Tomato Fennel Soup With Blood Orange

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 large fennel bulb, chopped, some fronds reserved
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
• fresh ground black pepper

• 2 (48 ounce) cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup fresh blood orange juice plus grated blood orange, zest of
• ground red pepper
• 1 cup drained yogurt, creme fraiche (optional) or sour cream (optional)

Directions

1. 1

   Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven; add the onion and fennel, sprinkled with a big pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until soft and golden but not brown, 20 minutes.

2. 2

   Add the tomatoes and their juice, broth, blood orange juice and a pinch of ground red pepper. Lower heat to a simmer; cook covered until the fennel is entirely soft and the tomatoes have released their juice and turned dark, about 30 minutes.

3. 3

   Allow the soup to cool slightly; puree until smooth in a blender in batches or with an immersion blender. Return the soup to the heat; heat to a simmer. Taste; adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Add a touch more broth if it seems too thick.

4. 4

   Serve in shallow bowls garnished with a pinch of grated zest, a spoonful of the yogurt and sprigs of fennel fronds.

5. 5

   Per serving: 198 calories, 19% of calories from fat, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 3 mg cholesterol, 33 g carbohydrates, 6 g protein, 1,684 mg sodium, 5 g fiber.