Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups diced peeled potatoes
- 6 strips bacon
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 ½ bulbs fennel, chopped
- 5 cups vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder, or more to taste
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
Why You'll Keep Making This
Tips For Better Flavor
- Use a potato variety that breaks down well, like Yukon Gold or Russet, for a creamy texture.
- To enhance the fennel flavor, sauté it until soft before adding the liquids.
Step 1
Put the potatoes in a large pot and covering them with salted water. Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat and let them simmer gently until they’re just tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, fry the bacon in a deep skillet over medium-high heat, turning it now and then, until it’s nicely browned and crispy, which should take around 10 minutes. Set the bacon aside on some paper towels to drain, but don’t throw away all the fat—leave about 2 tablespoons of the drippings in the skillet.
Step 2
Add the butter to the bacon fat and melt it over medium heat. Toss in the fennel and cook it, stirring occasionally, until it’s golden and soft, about 12 minutes. Crumble the cooked bacon into the pan, then pour in the vegetable stock along with the potatoes and the Chinese five-spice. Bring everything to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 3
Scoop out about 1 and a half cups of the soup and carefully blend it until smooth—hold the lid down with a potholder so it doesn’t pop off. Pour the blended soup back into the pot and keep it simmering for another 45 minutes to an hour so all the flavors can meld together. Taste again and adjust the seasoning with more five-spice, salt, or pepper if you like.
