This easy, creamy fennel soup with white beans is velvety, comforting, and full of mellow, aromatic flavor. Sautéed fennel, onion, and garlic create a fragrant base, while cannellini beans add body and plant-based protein. Finished with a splash of cream and a drizzle of good olive oil, it's a nourishing soup perfect for cool spring days, with easy dairy-free and vegan options included. Serve it as a first course or a light meal and enjoy its comforting goodness.
Inspired by French-style vegetable purées (and my garden with a lot of fennel), this fennel soup recipe is mild and creamy with a texture reminiscent of classic potato soup. It comes together in about 45 minutes. The simple, pale color is beautiful in its own way, but garnishes like olive oil, cracked pepper, herbs, or a few fennel fronds add eye appeal and a final pop of flavor.
Jump to:
Fennel Soup Recipe Highlights
- Creamy and comforting - White beans create a naturally smooth texture, like potato soup but with more protein.
- Simple and nourishing - Made with clean, everyday ingredients like fennel, onion, broth, and olive oil.
- Easy to customize - Finish with your favorite toppings for extra flavor and visual appeal.
For another healthy fresh recipe with fennel, try my fennel and orange salad with orange vinaigrette.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Fennel - With its mild, sweet anise flavor, fresh fennel bulb adds subtle depth and aromatic complexity to this creamy soup. Save the fennel fronds for garnish!
- Cannellini Beans - Canned white beans keep the recipe quick and easy, while adding body and protein.
- Oil - Use extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil.
- Onion - White onion or sweet onion work fine and don't overpower the fennel.
- Garlic - Fresh cloves provide the best flavor.
- Herbs - Tarragon and/or thyme. Use fresh if you have it, but dried works fine.
- Broth - Low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth.
- Cream - A splash of heavy cream makes the soup extra smooth and rich.
Please see the recipe card for measurements, sea salt, and either black pepper or white pepper (white pepper disappears).
Substitutions and Variations
- Herbs - Use a dried French seasoning blend called Herbes de Provence.
- Bean options - Great Northern, navy beans, or small white beans all work just as well in this soup.
- Onion swap - Use shallots for the onion.
- Vegan or dairy-free soup - Use olive oil of preference, vegetable broth, and canned coconut milk.
Chef's tip on buying fennel: Fennel bulbs vary in size, and how many you need depends on how they're trimmed. Some come with the feathery green stalks still attached, while others are already cleaned up. For this recipe, you'll need about 1¼ pounds of fennel after trimming. That's typically 2-3 medium bulbs. Find it year round in the store and at it's best in fall to early spring.
For another fennel and white bean soup, try this chunky, hearty Tuscan White Bean Soup.
How to Make Fennel Soup
- Chop fennel by hand or in the food processor.
- Chop onion and garlic by hand or in the food processor.
- Saute the fennel, onion, and garlic in oil, add the herbs and cook slowly until softened, 7-10 minutes.
- Add the beans and broth, bring to a simmer, turn down heat and cook 12-15 minutes.
When vegetables and beans are all soft and flavors blended, puree until smooth in a blender. Do it in two batches if needed. If too thick, add a little more broth to serve.
Serving Suggestions
Pair this creamy fennel soup with a crusty roll or garlic toast to soak up every spoonful. Freshly baked cornbread is another nice option. For a satisfying meal, add a simple green salad on the side. It also makes a great first course for a spring or fall dinner.
For garnishes, try a drizzle of good olive oil, a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley or chives, a pinch of red pepper flakes, crispy crumbled bacon, or a little grated Parmesan. A spoonful of pesto adds great color and flavor.
Storing and Freezing
To store: Let the soup cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4-5 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
To freeze: This soup freezes beautifully. Store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Stir well after reheating to restore the creamy texture. If it gets too thick add a little more broth or milk.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! This soup keeps well for several days and actually tastes better the next day as the flavors meld. Just store in an airtight container and reheat gently before serving.
Not for this recipe. Since the soup is puréed, the fennel core softens completely as it cooks and blends in smoothly.
Yes, but you'll need to soak and cook them first. You'll need about 1½ cups cooked beans to replace one 15-ounce can. Be sure they're fully tender before adding to the soup.
No. Fennel has a subtle anise flavor, but once it's sautéed and simmered, it mellows into something more sweet and savory-not overpowering at all. It's delicious.
More Creamy Soups
For more creamy soups, check out these super soup recipes in the soups & stews index.
Did You Make This Recipe?
If you make this fennel soup, please add your comment. I appreciate your feedback and enjoy hearing from you. If you loved it, please give it a 5-star rating! They really help other readers.
📖 Recipe
Fennel Soup
Equipment
- Dutch oven 5 ½ quarts
- Food Processor optional
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 ¼ cups chopped white onion or sweet onion 1 small
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 1 ¼ pounds fennel bulbs 2-3, bulb only, trimmed of tops
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried tarragon dried thyme, or both.
- ½ cup heavy cream canned coconut milk for dairy-free
- 30 ounces canned cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon white pepper or black
Optional garnishes
- fennel fronds
- extra virgin olive oil
- fresh chopped chives or parsley
- finely grated parmesan cheese
- crisply cooked and crumbled bacon
Instructions
Vegetable prep
- Roughly chop the fennel and onion, then pulse in a food processor until finely chopped. If you don't have a food processor, chop them finely by hand. Finely chop the garlic.
Sweat the vegetables
- Heat the olive oil in a medium pot (5½ quarts) over medium-low heat. Add the fennel and onion, cover with the lid slightly ajar, and cook gently until soft and translucent, about 10-12 minutes. You're sweating the vegetables, not browning them. Keep them pale-no color. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the herbs and half of the salt.
Simmer the soup
- Add the beans and the broth and bring to a simmer, allow flavors to blend and heat soup to heat through, 5 minutes. Puree the soup in a blender in 2 batches, adding the cream at the end. Taste and season with the rest of the salt and white or black pepper if desired. Serve with a drizzle of extra olive oil and any other garnishes you prefer.
Notes
Nutrition
Would you like to save this recipe?
Never lose a recipe! We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later.
Marnee Sigler says
Amazing and delicious! A great soup that is light in texture and rich in flavor. I would have 5x’s a week.
Sally Cameron says
Appreciate your comment Marnee. Love to hear that!
Nora Szekely says
Smooth, velvety texture, super easy to make