• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
    • Contact
    • Photo Use Policy

Connoisseurus Veg logo

SUBSCRIBE

Sign up for email updates and receive a free copy of my veggie burger e-book!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Free Veggie Burger Book
  • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Soups / Fennel Soup with Pasta & White Beans

    LAST UPDATED: March 16, 2022 • FIRST PUBLISHED: March 16, 2022

    Fennel Soup with Pasta & White Beans

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This chunky fennel soup is so satisfying and easy to make! Jam-packed with veggies, pasta, and beans in a savory white wine broth, it's comforting and absolutely delicious. Perfect for a weeknight dinner!

    Wooden surface set with two bowls of Fennel Soup and dutch oven.

    Fennel is one of those veggies that I don't cook with nearly enough! I mean, I love fennel, but I always seem to forget about it until one day it pops up in a recipe for something like vegan Italian wedding soup, which I then proceed to make and on first bite am reminded of the wonderful texture and flavor that fennel adds to a dish.

    So I decided to make fennel the star of this soup. I've included no less than two whole fennel bulbs in the recipe, which is quite a bit! But in order to keep things from getting boring, we're also using a bunch of other ingredients like pasta, beans, carrots, and basil, all of which go deliciously with fennel.

    If you're not used to cooking with fennel, you're in for a treat! It has a texture and that's not far off from celery, but a bit firmer. The flavor can most closely be compared to licorice, but in a soup like this it comes across very mild. The result is a fennel soup that's delicious and bright!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients You'll Need
    • How It's Made
    • Leftovers & Storage
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • More Pasta Soups
    • Fennel Soup with Pasta & White Beans

    Ingredients You'll Need

    • Small pasta shells. Feel free to substitute another small variety of pasta, such as orzo, elbow macaroni, or ditalini.
    • Olive oil. You can use another high-heat oil if you'd like, but olive will give your soup the best flavor.
    • Fennel bulbs.
    • Carrots.
    • Garlic.
    • White wine. Use a dry white wine such as chardonnay or sauvignon blanc. Also keep in mind that not all wine is vegan. You can check with Barnivore to ensure the brand that you choose is.
    • Vegetable broth. I'm a big fan of Better Than Bouillon in seasoned vegetable flavor.
    • Cannellini beans. Feel free to substitute another type of bean if you'd like. Chickpeas, butter beans, and lentils would all be great in this recipe!
    • Red pepper flakes. Leave these out if you'd prefer a heat-free soup.
    • Lemon juice.
    • Fresh basil.
    • Salt & black pepper.

    How It's Made

    The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!

    • Chop all of your veggies before getting started. The easiest way to dice fennel is by cutting the stalks and fronds from the bulb, then setting the bulb upright on a cutting board and slicing it into slabs. You can then cut the slabs vertically and horizontally.
    Whole fennel bulb and sliced fennel bulb on a wooden cutting board.
    • Cook your pasta by boiling it according to the package directions. Drain it into a colander when it's finished.
    • While your pasta boils, heat up the oil in a large pot, then add diced fennel and carrots. Sweat the veggies until the start to soften up. This can take about 10 minutes since there's a lot of them!
    • Add garlic to the veggies and sauté briefly.
    • Carefully pour in the wine, bring it to a simmer and let it cook for a few minutes.
    Hand pouring white wine into a pot of diced vegetables.
    • Stir the broth, beans and red pepper flakes into the pot, raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil.
    • Let the soup simmer for 20 minutes or so. You can test pieces of the fennel and carrots using a fork — they should pierce easily when the soup is done.
    Fennel Soup simmering on a stove top.
    • Take the pot off of heat and stir in the pasta, along with lemon juice, fresh basil, salt and pepper to taste.
    Spoon stirring pasta and basil into a pot of Fennel Soup.
    • Ladle the soup into bowls and enjoy!
    Bowl of Fennel Soup with a second bowl in the background.

    Leftovers & Storage

    Leftover fennel soup will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

    The pasta will probably soak up a lot of the broth as it sits. Feel free to add some extra broth when you reheat it!

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Can this soup be made gluten-free?

    Sure! Just use your favorite gluten-free pasta.

    Is there a good way to use up the stalks and fronds that aren't going into this soup?

    The easiest way to use them is in a salad. Dice the stalks and chop the fronds, and toss them right in. Fennel fronds also make a really nice garnish for bowls of the soup.

    Can I use fennel seeds in this soup?

    Sure! Try adding a half teaspoon of crushed fennel seeds at the same time as the broth. It will give the soup a more intense herby flavor.

    More Pasta Soups

    • Pasta e Ceci
    • Tomato Orzo Soup
    • Vegan Minestrone Soup
    • Vegan Lasagna Soup
    • Mushroom Lemon Orzo Soup
    • Vegan Pasta e Fagioli

    Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!

    Bowl of Fennel Soup with Fresh Basil on Top
    5 from 1 vote
    Print

    Fennel Soup with Pasta & White Beans

    This chunky fennel soup is so satisfying and easy to make! Jam-packed with veggies, pasta, and beans in a savory white wine broth, it's comforting and absolutely delicious. Perfect for a weeknight dinner!

    Course Soup
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 40 minutes
    Total Time 55 minutes
    Servings 6
    Calories 249 kcal
    Author Alissa Saenz

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup small dried pasta shells
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 2 medium fennel bulbs, diced
    • 2 medium carrots, diced
    • 4 garlic cloves, minced
    • ¾ cup dry white wine
    • 6 cups vegetable broth
    • 1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
    • Pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • ½ cup chopped fresh basil
    • Salt & black pepper, to taste
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta shells and cook them according to the package directions. Drain them into a colander when done.

    2. While the pasta cooks, coat the bottom of a large pot with the oil and place it over medium heat.

    3. When the oil is hot, add the fennel and carrots. Sweat the veggies, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften up after about 10 minutes.

    4. Stir in the garlic and cook it with the veggies until very fragrant, about 1 minute.

    5. Stir in the wine. Raise the heat and bring it to a simmer. Let it cook for about 4 minutes, until reduced by about half.

    6. Stir in the broth, beans, and red pepper flakes.

    7. Bring the broth to a boil, lower the heat and let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes, until the carrots and fennel are tender.

    8. Remove the pot from heat and stir in the pasta, along with lemon juice, basil, salt and pepper to taste.

    9. Ladle into bowls and serve.

    Nutrition Facts
    Fennel Soup with Pasta & White Beans
    Amount Per Serving (1.5 cups)
    Calories 249 Calories from Fat 47
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 5.2g8%
    Saturated Fat 0.7g4%
    Sodium 806mg34%
    Potassium 643mg18%
    Carbohydrates 34.5g12%
    Fiber 7.1g28%
    Sugar 5.7g6%
    Protein 7.9g16%
    Calcium 105mg11%
    Iron 3mg17%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    « Crispy Tofu Chicken Nuggets
    Vegan Lemon Cookies with White Chocolate Chips »

    Sharing is caring!

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Email

    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

    Subscribe

    Subscribe for email updates and receive a free copy of my veggie burger e-book!

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Alissa Holding a Coffee Cup

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

    More about me →

    Popular

    • The Best Vegan Banana Bread
    • Crispy Baked Teriyaki Tofu
    • Creamy Vegan Rice Pudding
    • Classic Lentil Soup

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up for emails and updates

    Contact

    • About
    • Contact
    • Photo Use Policy

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more here.

    Copyright © 2013-2022 Tofu Press LLC & Alissa Saenz

    114 shares
    • 6