Fennel and Spinach Soup {AIP, GAPS, SCD, Paleo}

My boy went off to camp early yesterday so I spent much of my Tuesday batch cooking meals to send away with him. Of course I was happy to do it and, as it happened, even more so as the furnace had just broken down and I'm rubbish in cold temperatures. Standing next to an oven is the place to be on a cold day!

Want to know what I cooked up for the boyo to take on his trip?

• This oatmeal,
• This stew,
• This meat sauce,
• This teacake (well two actually, most of one for him, one and a bit for us - you don't think I'd have got away with that one do you?)
• Then I made a batch of these marshmallows, yummmmmmm!!
• And for snacks he took Bison Epic Bars (these are the only AIP ones they do at the moment) and a few Kale Veggi-Gos to keep in his backpack.

Whenever the children go to camps, marshmallows are sure to make an appearance somewhere or other so I send 'em along as a matter of course. My two don't mind missing out on the likes of vegetarian soy chilli (thank goodness) and lasagne but if they had to watch the others tucking into their marshmallows? Ugh, doesn't bear thinking about, that's bordering on child cruelty surely?!

So yesterday, with furnace still not sorted, I made soup. And it did the trick because a man came along, asked for a pin which he promptly stuck into a pipe and lo and behold there came heat. That was it folks ... that was all it took to fill the house with warmth yet again, to settle the cats from their manic behaviour and to bring my hands back from the brink of near frostbite. Now I have a glow every time I open the fridge door and see all that batch cooking staring back at me. Heavenly!

It occurred to me I hadn't made soup in a while so I raided the fridge and found this lot. Pretty good huh? I made it for the three of us, because we're one down 🙁

fennel and spinach soup
You can easily turn this into 'cream of' soup by adding 1/4 cup coconut milk if you want to.
(serves 3)
Print the recipe here

1 tbsp lard (or other solid fat)
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced and fronds reserved
2 tbsp lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
1 bunch (250g) spinach
2 cups (500ml) chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
coconut milk to serve (optional)

Heat the fat in a large pan and add the onions and fennel. Sweat on the gentlest heat for 15 minutes or so until softened but don't allow to burn. Next add the lemon juice and spinach and allow to wilt. Pour in the broth and salt, then bring up to a simmer and cook gently for 5 minutes. Pour the soup into a blender and blend until smooth, rinsing out the pan. Reheat gently, taste to see if you need more salt and serve with a swirl of coconut milk, if you like, and the reserved fronds.