Fennel And Bread Soup

Dick Allgire, Health Reporter

POSTED: 4:01 pm HST July 17, 2007

The ladies didn't like the idea of putting old bread in soup, but this turned out pretty good.

Ingredients:

1 bulb fennel

2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, sliced thin

2 dry hot chili peppers

2 TBS toasted pine nuts

2-3 TBS goji berries (or currants)

4 Italian plum tomatoes (I put in 1 small can)

2 slices day old crusty bread

6-8 cups water

salt and pepper

Instructions:

Slice the fennel bulb into bite sized pieces. Save the long green fennel fronds. (Chop some and save for garnish when soup is served.)

Heat olive oil in a large soup pot, add the fennel, sliced garlic, whole chili peppers. You can remove the chili peppers later. If you like it really hot, you can eat these -- otherwise let them cook whole and get them out of there when the soup is done.

Add the roasted pine nuts and goji berries. Allow all of this to brown. Cook on medium about 15 minutes.

Add the plum tomatoes and break them up with a spoon. You want it well cooked with a dark glaze. Add the water, bring to a boil.

Slice the old bread into bite sized pieces and toss it in the pot. You will want to season aggressively- salt and pepper. Reduce heat and cook until the bread begins to fall apart - about 5-8 minutes.