Tomato and fennel soup with courgette is fresh, wholesome and naturally suitable for vegetarians and vegans. It’s easy to make and freezer friendly too.

This tomato and fennel soup came about because I’m always looking out for new ways to incorporate less common vegetables, such as fennel, into my family’s diet.
I’m always impressed at how easy it is to get my family to eat any vegetable when it’s in the form of soup. This tomato, courgette and fennel soup is deliciously different and certainly one that disguises this otherwise awkward vegetable so it can be easily included in our diets.
And if you enjoy this recipe you may also be interested in my smoky carrot and courgette soup.
Reasons to make this soup
Aside from boasting a bold, punchy and satisfyingly rich flavour this tomato and fennel soup has plenty of additional noteworthy attributes:
- It’s easy – there’s nothing complicated about this recipe, it only takes around 10 minutes to prepare the vegetables and most of the cooking time is hands off
- It can be made ahead – this soup can sit in the fridge for several days, so it’s perfect for making in advance. It’s freezer friendly too
- And it’s healthy – this tomato, courgette and fennel soup is loaded with fresh vegetables and it’s made without cream, so it’s full of nutrients and low fat
- As it’s meat and dairy-free it’s naturally vegan and vegetarian friendly
Ingredients
Both fresh tomatoes and sundried tomatoes appear in this recipe. The fresh tomatoes are roasted and, when combined with the sundried tomatoes, they add a bold and vibrant flavour to this healthy fennel soup.
Courgettes partner well with both tomatoes and fennel, so it was the obvious option to include to boost the vegetable count.
Lemon juice is perhaps a surprise ingredient. But I can’t stress enough how a little squeeze stirred in at the end makes all the difference in this tomato, courgette and fennel soup. The citrus juice elevates the entire flavour profile, adding a little freshness and cutting through the rich and intense tomatoes in expert fashion.
Clearly, the star of the show in this recipe is the fennel itself. Fennel is delicious but it is certainly not the most popular vegetable to eat. Perhaps that’s because not everybody knows what fennel is or how to use it. So before diving into the step-by-step instructions for this tomato and fennel soup let’s take a look at this vegetable in more detail.
What is fennel?
Fennel is a vegetable that is white-green in colour. It has a bulb with green stems and fronds shooting out from the top. It has a strong aniseed flavour, so it’s really quite a unique flavour in the vegetable world. Fennel can be roasted or sauteed for recipes such as soup or eaten raw in salads like this tangy beetroot and fennel salad.
Is fennel good for you?
Fennel is very good for most people. It’s a great source of fibre and it is full of nutrients such as potassium and folate (good for the heart), beta carotene and vitamin c (good for the skin) and antioxidant nutrients (anti-inflammatory). However, people with an allergy to celery or carrots should be cautious as they may also be allergic to fennel.
What part of fennel can I use in this soup?
The answer is all of it! Well, practically all of it. To prepare it use a shape knife to trim the base and the dry ends of the stalks and then dice the bulb and stalks finely before using. The fronds can either be thrown in at the same time or reserved and used as a garnish when serving this vegan fennel soup.
Instructions
- Quarter the tomatoes, toss in oil and roast for 1½ hours
- Transfer to a blender with sundried tomatoes and stock. Blend until smooth
- Dice the shallot. Fry for 1 minute then stir in the garlic. Add diced fennel and salt and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Next add diced courgette and continue to cook for another 5 minutes
- Pour in the blended soup base, pepper and herbs and cook for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are all soft
- Squeeze in lemon juice and add more seasoning to taste
Expert tips
- The instructions suggest dicing the vegetables finely but they can be left chunkier if preferred. Adjust the length of the final cook to ensure all vegetables are soft
- If time is short use tinned tomatoes in place of the roasted tomatoes to make the soup base. The flavour won’t be quite as ful-bodied, but the soup will still be tasty
- Don’t skimp on sweating the vegetables (sautéing in the oil). This helps build up flavour in the soup
- Taste your stock before adding to the soup – if it’s already well seasoned you may need to reduce the amount of salt added to the recipe later on
- Double the recipe so there’s enough for another meal. Like most soups, this tomato and fennel soup is very freezer-friendly
Frequently asked questions
Yes you can. Simply let cool completely, then decant into a suitable freezeproof container, label and freeze for up to 3 months. I like to freeze my soup in individual servings so I can grab one for a speedy lunch when there’s just myself to feed.
That’s your prerogative. If smooth is the way you enjoy your soup best then go for it, I won’t complain.
Soup maker: I’m not a huge fan of soup makers I’m afraid. I had one a while back but found that the vegetables at the bottom of the jug tended to stick and burn whilst those at the top were barely cooked.
Personal difficulties aside, although it’s possible, this isn’t the best soup to make in a soup maker. Although the tomato base needs to be blended, the rest of the vegetables do not. You’d have to empty out the vegetables once they have been allowed to sweat, then puree the soup base and add the vegetables back in before proceeding to the final cook. If you don’t mind this extra step then feel free to use your soup maker.
Slow cooker: similarly, a typical slow cooker isn’t ideal for this fennel soup recipe either. Unless you have a slow cooker that allows the bowl to sit on the hob then you’ll still need to sweat the vegetables in a pan before adding to the slow cooker and life is too short for dealing with extra washing up.
You could, however, use a slow cooker to keep the soup warm at a party.
Serving suggestions
Food served in bowls like this naturally vegan fennel soup just begs to be dressed up. Try the following ideas to keep your presentation fresh and exciting:
- Croutons – making your own is easy and they store for several weeks in a clip-top jar
- A swirl of cream or plain yoghurt (or dairy free alternative to keep things vegan)
- Or a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
- Fennel frounds or chopped herbs (chives work well)
- Seeds such as pumpkin add a nutritional burst and look inviting
- Crushed tortilla chips for a bit of a treat
- Crumbled feta or goats cheese (or a suitable vegan cheese) for happy sighs
More soup recipes to try
Have you made this vegan-friendly tomato and fennel soup with courgette? Please give it a rating or comment. I love to hear how you get along with my recipes.
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📖 Recipe
Tomato and Fennel Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Light olive oil
- 4 Large tomatoes (approx 575g)
- 1 Large shallot (approx 100g)
- 1 Garlic clove
- 1 Fennel bulb
- 1 Courgette (approx 275g)
- 625 ml Vegetable stock
- 30 g Sundried tomatoes drained from the oil they are jarred with.
- 1 teaspoon Mixed dried herbs
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
Instructions
- Quarter the tomatoes, toss in 1 tablespoon of the oil and roast at 150C/ 300F/ GM 2 for 1½ hours
- When cooked transfer them to a blender along with the sundried tomatoes and stock. Blend until smooth then set this soup base aside
- Finely dice the shallot, then fry in a large saucepan using the remaining oil for 1 minute. Mince the garlic and add to the pan
- Trim the base off the fennel and cut off the dry ends from the stalks. Remove any outer flesh that has browned. Slice and dice the remaining flesh and add to the saucepan. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often
- Meanwhile, dice the courgette finely too, then add to the pan and cook for a further 5 minutes, again stirring occasionally
- Pour the prepared soup base into the pan and add the salt, pepper and dried herbs. Drop in the fennel fronds too if not reserving them as a garnish. Cook for 15-20 minutes until all vegetables are soft
- Add the lemon juice to taste (at least ½ tablespoon) and adjust seasoning as necessary, then serve
Notes
- The instructions suggest dicing the vegetables finely but they can be left chunkier if preferred. Adjust the length of the final cook to ensure all vegetables are soft
- If time is short use tinned tomatoes in place of the roasted tomatoes to make the soup base. The flavour won’t be quite as full-bodied, but the soup will still be tasty
- Don’t skimp on sweating the vegetables (sautéing in the oil). This helps build up the flavour in the soup
- Taste your stock before adding to the soup – if it’s already well seasoned you may need to reduce the amount of salt added to the recipe later on
- If smooth is the way you enjoy your soup best then feel free to blend it all once cooked
- Double the recipe so there’s enough for another meal. Like most soups, this tomato and fennel soup is very freezer-friendly
Rayna
Hey Jane – This soup sounds great! It’s missing the sun dried tomato in the ingredient list. Can you please tell me the amount and whether you used regular or smoked sun dried tomatoes? I’m looking forward to trying the recipe. Thanks so much!
Jane Coupland
Hi Rayna, oooh sorry – I check and re-check my work but always miss something! About 30g (3-4) regular sundried tomatoes are called for here. I’d better update that now – thanks for bringing it to my attentionn. I hope that you enjoy this lovely soup.