Fennel & Asparagus Soup and Sunshine Award!

Hey Happy Tummies!

Fennel and Asparagus Soup!

Who’s excited for the Bachelorette “tell-all” tonight? Haha….if that’s not a pathetic sentence, I don’t know what is!

green onions are the prefect finish!

So today I got all settled back in Cincinnati — went grocery shopping, unpacked, did some laundry…fun stuff.

First of all, I’d like to give a huge thank you to Heather from Gluten Free Cat for awarding me with the Sunshine Award! “The Sunshine Award is an award given by bloggers to other bloggers. The recipients of the Sunshine Award are: “Bloggers who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogoshere.” 

I am truly honored to be recognized by someone that I find so inspiring! Heather’s Gluten Free blog is so positive and lovely — she just radiates joy and “sunshine!” :)

• 1. Favorite Color: I love sea foam green…And pink:)
• 2. Favorite Animal: puppies!!
• 3. Favorite Number: 4
• 4. Favorite Drink: frozen lime margarita with salt!
• 5. Facebook or Twitter: Hmm, that’s a toughie. I guess Facebook because you can share photos. I feel that my “day to day happenings” don’t merit a tweet.
• 6. Good Movie or Good Book:  Good movie. I love escaping for an hour or two…plus, I never have time to read.
• 7. My passion: I have truly found a passion in sharing delicious recipes for people with food allergies and special diets. Cooking for people is a way to express love:) I also have a passion for acting and singing.
• 8. Giving or Getting Presents: Hmm, I love getting presents, but even more, I love giving them. Growing up, I would always have so much fun making Christmas and birthday presents for my fam. One of my most memorable was a “juke box” made out of an upside-down paper grocery bag. I gave each person a cardboard “CD” to put in the juke box, and then I’d sing the song for them. Haha…gotta love 6-year-old creativity!
• 9. Favorite Day of the Year: Hmm, either Christmas or the Fourth of July because my entire family is all together!
• 10. Favorite Flower: Snap Dragons!

Finally, I’d like to nominate Somer from Good Clean Food! I am so glad to have “met” Somer via the Blogosphere! She has been so kind and encouraging to me, as she also has Ulcerative Colitis, and has beaten it through diet! I consider her a wonderful mentor and friend:)

so comforting!

So now, onto dinner! Tonight, I made a gorgeous Fennel & Asparagus Soup! Nothing like a comforting bowl of soup to soothe a Happy Tummy:)

gluten free, vegan, and body ecology diet friendly!

It’s Gluten Free, Vegan, Body Ecology Diet friendly and Specific Carb Diet friendly!

so rich and creamy!

And did I mention that it’s awesome? ;)

delicious!

Here’s what you need:

1 yellow onion, diced
1 bunch of asparagus, chopped
1 bulb of fennel, sliced thin on a mandolin
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 1/2 cups Veg stock
salt and pepper
1 green onion, sliced

In a large dutch oven, saute your onion in 1 tsp EVOO, salt and pepper. Let it soften for about 3-4 minutes, and then add your fennel and asparagus. Let that cook for about 5-6 minutes, and then add your garlic. Let it cook for about 3 minutes, and then add your stock. Bring it to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer and cover, for 15-20 minutes. Readjust salt to taste. Turn off the heat, and then, with a stick blender, puree your soup until it is smooth and creamy. You can also do this in a blender, just be sure to do it in small batches, since it’s a hot liquid! Serve garnished with green onions.

mmmm!

This soup was so delicious. It was light, but extremely satisfying! The flavors were complex, but SO delicate! The savory asparagus paired perfectly with the anise-y fennel! If you’ve never tried fennel, it is a fabulous vegetable. It looks a little intimidating with the green stalks shooting out of the big white bulb, but the flavor is second to none! It tastes like licorice! Such an interesting flavor combo with the asparagus!

such delicate flavors!

Finally, the texture was out-of-this-world! It was so luxuriously rich and creamy. My mom thought I put cream in it since it was so smooth and luscious! It just melted in your mouth. And the green onions added just the perfect bite.

What’s your favorite TV show? Do you watch the Bachelorette?

See ya tomorrow!

Need an immersion blender? I love mine...here's the one I use: