Pea, Lettuce and Fennel Soup

It's been a while because I was ill for a couple of days. I had a fever, chills and sore throat. I took the day off on Monday and literally just slept the whole day. Like from 6:30am until 11:00am, then 12:00pm-4:00pm. I think something is going around. People are out sick in the office and people on the train keep hacking and coughing. Ugh.

 Tada! Finished soup! I was surprised it actually tasted really good.
Let's get to it.

First, I melted 3 Tablespoons of unsalted butter in a pan and let it melt. 

Next, I chopped up the shallots. I also added a bit of celery into the mix.

Then chopped up the fennel bulb. You can smell the anise from it. It's very fragrant. 

Take out the core.

Then I threw the shallots, celery and onion in the warm pan, and cooked until tender. I also added some salt and pepper to the mix.

Next, I chopped up lettuce into strips and put it in the pan until it is wilted down.

Then I added the frozen peas, broth and then let cook for bit. (I didn't use the fennel seeds but kept the fennel fronds for the topping.) Then I blended it in my Ninja till it became a soupy texture. 

Fennel, Lettuce and Pea Soup Recipe here.

Giada De Laurentiis is an Italian queen. If you don't know her then I am surprised. She's on Food Network shows, has her own cooking show, cookbooks and etc. I've watched her a couple of times on TV. I like how laid back she is on the camera but has that inviting and warm personality that draws you in to listen. Of course, many of her recipes are Italian inspired. But I was happy to have stumbled across this one. It sounded awesome and was delicious!