Fear of Vegetables

I am hoping that none of you have a fear of eating vegetables :-) I am talking about the fear of cooking with vegetables that are not familiar. Come on now, we have all been guilty of scrolling through a recipe and if it has an ingredient that we've never used, we say "forget it!" Today, I am going to encourage some of you to move outside of your comfort zone. Today we are making Fennel and Spinach Soup with Roasted Pepper Yogurt. This soup is amazing hot, at room temperature, or chilled. It is very versatile, and it is so good for you. I would offer a prize for giving it a try, but I got a whole lots of nothing! So, the reward will be a satisfied tummy!

Fennel and Spinach Soup with Roasted Red Pepper Yogurt

Yield: 8 (3/4 cup of soup and 2 Tablespoons of yogurt) servings;

96 calories per serving

2 red bell peppers

2 large fennel bulbs with stalks

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cups chopped leek (about 2 medium)

1 cup chopped shallots (about 2 large)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

3/8 teaspoon salt

2 cups fat free low sodium chicken broth

1 cup water

1 bay leaf

4 ounces fresh spinach

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Dash of ground red pepper

1. Preheat broiler. Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 15 minutes or until blackened. Place in a paper bag; fold to close tightly. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel abd chop; set aside.

2. Trim tough outer leaves from fennel. Mince feathery fronds to measure 2 tablespoons; set aside. Remove and discard stalks. Cut bulbs in half lengthwise; discard core. Chop bulbs to measure aout 4 cups.

3. Chop leeks starting at the white end to measure 2 cups. Chop shallots.

4. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add fennel bulb, leek, shallots, thyme and salt; cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth, water, and bay leaf; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 12 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Stir in spinach and black pepper. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes at room temperature.

5. Pour half of fennel mixture into a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid to avoid splatters. Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining fennel mixture. Return pureed soup to pan; heat over medium heat 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

6. Combine roasted bell peppers, yogurt, lemon rind, lemon juice, and ground red pepper in a food processor; process until smooth.

7. Ladle about 3/4 cup soup and top with 2 tablespoon yogurt mixture. Garnish with fennel fronds.