Sunday Soup: Fennel and Tomato with creme fraische

This Oscar Sunday we had a really nice, rustic, full-o-veggies soup.  Delish!

Fennel and Tomato Soup with Creme Fraiche

4 medium fennel bulbs
one medium onion
2 carrots
6 sprigs fresh marjoram
salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
4 cups chicken broth (low sodium)

Creme Fraiche
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

Make the creme fraiche first - whisk the ingredients together and let sit until time for serving.  You would ideally make this about 6 hours ahead, but I've never actually managed this.

Remove the fennel fronds, quarter, and remove the core.  Chop to a 1 inch dice. Onion and carrot should be chopped to a similar size.

Heat the oil in a medium sized soup pot.  Add the fennel, onion, and carrot; cook until the veggies start to brown, maybe 10 minutes.

Add about a teaspoon of salt, the marjoram, and the red pepper flakes.  Stir and let it get fragrant; add the tomatoes and broth.  Simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until the veggies are tender.

Use your immersion blender (Yeah!) to puree the soup, or use a regular blender very carefully.  Leave it a little chunky if you like (I like).  In a small bowl, combine 1/3 c. of the creme fraiche with a ladle-full of soup.  Stir this into the rest of the soup.

Serve in big mugs with a dollop of creme fraiche and a sprinkling of fresh marjoram.  I served with a slice of a rustic, seedy bread.  It was delicious.

Enjoy!