Tomato Fennel Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed, cored & chopped (about 12 oz.)
2 tablespoons feathery fennel leaves, chopped (save for garnish)
4 medium shallots, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped (about 2 oz.)
28 ounces canned tomatoes, undrained
1/2 - 1 cup vegetable broth
salt
pepper

Preparation

Heat the oil in medium stockpot over medium-low.
Add fennel, shallots and carrot, cook until very soft but not brown, stirring occasionally.
This will take about 15 minutes.
Add tomatoes and 1/2 cup broth, bring to boil over high heat.
Reduce heat and simmer gently for 15 minutes (uncovered), stirring occasionally.
Transfer to blender or food processor in batches (I used an immersion blender right in the pan), and process until smooth.
Adjust the seasonings, and add more veggie broth if necessary to achieve your desired consistency.
Serve hot, garnished with the chopped fennel leaves.
This soup reheats well.