At the start of the new year I was feeling a bit heavy. Since I am not a big juicer, I decided to do a cleanse but with food. I made a huge pot of this soup (2 times the recipe) on Monday and ate it everyday for lunch. Within a week I felt much lighter and realized you really do not need to juice to cleanse. Of course I did cut out caffeine and sugar, but eating soup filled me up and I did not feel as if I were depriving myself of food. Whether you are trying to cleanse or not, this is a delicious soup and very nourishing.

Zucchini and Fennel Soup

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large fennel, diced
4-6 zucchini trimmed and diced
1 large onion, diced
¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
2-3 cups water
2 tablespoons of cream or butter (optional)

1. In a small stock pot, heat olive oil. Add diced fennel, onion and fennel seeds with a pinch of salt. Cover and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Add zucchini and cook another 5 minutes. Add water and bring to a strong simmer. Cover and reduce heat and cook until vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes.
2. To puree soup, remove any extra broth with a ladle and reserve. Use an immersion blender to puree vegetables. Add back the set aside liquid to reach the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Add cream or butter if using.

Serves 2