Description
This Fennel Leek Soup with Walnuts & Turmeric is a creamy, earthy, and flavorful vegan soup combining tender leeks, aromatic fennel, sweet apples, and warming turmeric, finished with crunchy toasted walnuts. Perfect for a comforting main course, it’s gluten free and highlights simple, wholesome ingredients in a nourishing blend.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 leeks, white and light green parts chopped (discard green tops or use them for stock)
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
- 1 medium fennel bulb, cored and chopped
- 1 medium apple, peeled, cored and chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ cup walnut halves, toasted
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 cups vegetable stock
Instructions
- Heat and sauté: Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the chopped leeks and thyme. Stir and sauté the leeks until they are a bit soft, about 4 minutes.
- Add vegetables and spices: Add the chopped fennel and apples, stirring everything together. Sprinkle in the turmeric and stir to coat all the vegetables evenly.
- Sauté until softened: Continue sautéing the mixture until the fennel starts to soften, about 4 more minutes.
- Add walnuts and season: Stir in the toasted walnuts. Season the entire mixture with sea salt and ground black pepper to taste.
- Add stock and simmer: Pour in the vegetable stock and stir well. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until all vegetables and apples are very soft, about 15 minutes.
- Blend the soup: Remove the pot from heat. Carefully blend the soup in batches in a blender until completely smooth.
- Adjust seasoning and reheat: Pour the puréed soup back into the pot. Bring it back to a boil, then reduce heat to warm through.
- Serve: Serve hot with optional drizzles of maple syrup, freshly ground black pepper, fennel fronds, and extra toasted walnuts for garnish.
Notes
- Homemade vegetable stock is ideal for deeper flavor but store-bought works fine.
- Celery can substitute fennel if unavailable.
- Pecans may be used instead of walnuts for a similar texture and nutty flavor.
- Use an immersion blender to avoid transferring hot soup to a blender.
- Adjust turmeric quantity for milder or stronger earthy flavor.
- For a thinner soup, add more vegetable stock or water.
- Maple syrup adds a subtle sweetness but is optional depending on taste preference.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1.5 cups)
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
