Not-Tomato Fennel Soup (AIP, Paleo, Whole30)

A Delicious, Nightshade-free Not-Tomato Fennel Soup that beats the Heck out of Canned, Condensed Soup any day! It’s AIP, Paleo, Whole30, Gluten-free, and Dairy-free to Boot.

As an added bonus, it tastes even better the next day, so consider making a double or triple batch. It will store in the refrigerator for several days or it can be frozen for a quick lunch or light dinner later.

This warming and comforting AIP Not-Tomato Fennel Soup is so easy to make!

You simply chop, roast, simmer and blend.

An immersion or stick blender is definitely not required, but it helps to omit the step of transferring hot soup to a blender. If you do use a blender, make sure your blender lid is properly vented to prevent the hot liquid from exploding, however!

If you don’t have an immersion blender or high-speed blender you can instead process the cooked veggies with a bit of broth in a food processor. Then transfer them back to the soup pot to heat through. This method will be a bit more chunky, but still delicious!

Why no tomatoes on the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol?

Tomatoes are a nightshade. Nightshade fruits and veggies contain high amounts of lectins.

One of lectins’ roles is to help to protect the plants as they grow from being eaten by critters! And this “protection” can be one of the things that actually causes irritation to the human gut lining when we eat those veggies/fruits.

This can lead to exacerbating or triggering leaky gut – a precursor to autoimmunity.

So how do we replace tomatoes on the elimination phase of AIP while we test our food triggers?

After 5 years of experimenting with nightshade-free recipe substitutions, I’ve got this little trick down pat!

I recreate the sweetness, texture, and tang of tomatoes with this 1-2-3 combo:

1. Beets (add sweetness, texture, and a reddish-purple color)


2. Pumpkin puree (creates thickness, depth, and an orange color to balance out the purple hue of the beets)


3. Vinegar or lemon juice (for something a little tart)

With this combo I have been able to recreate marinara sauce, “not-tomato sauce.” AIP Ketchup, and even an AIP BBQ Sauce!

They taste so close to the real thing and have so many nutrients that your body and gut will be thanking you!

I went a step further with this AIP Not-Tomato Fennel Soup and added some sweet anise flavor.

If you told me 20 years ago that I’d enjoy licorice flavor in savory foods, I’d tell ya you were crazy! Haha….

But then I tried ROASTED fennel and the flavor is so out of this world, that I think any anti-anise foodie will change their mind as well.

The caramelization that occurs is something divine, and it doesn’t taste like you’re eating a box of “good-n-plenty.” Trust me! Try it!

I hope this AIP Not-Tomato Fennel Soup warms your soul and presses your comfort-food happy button!

I’d love to hear if you make this and what you think. Let me know in the comments!

Print Pin

5 from 1 vote

Not-Tomato Fennel Soup (AIP, Paleo, Whole30)

A Paleo AIP, nightshade-free roasted Not-Tomato Fennel Soup that hits the spot on a chilly day. Whole30, dairy-free & gluten-free.

Course Soup

Cuisine AIP

Keyword aip, paleo, whole30

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb beets scrubbed, peeled and diced
• 1 large fennel bulb thinly sliced
• 2 large carrots chopped
• 2 medium shallots outer skin removed and halved
• 4 cloves garlic smashed and peeled
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Himalayan salt to taste
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or 2 tsp dried)
• 4 cup chicken bone broth (or more to thin as desired after pureeing)
• 1 can pumpkin puree 15oz (or cooked, mashed winter squash)
• ½ cup full-fat coconut milk (for coconut-free, sub Homemade Tiger Nut Milk – recipe in NOTES)
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup fresh basil leaves thinly sliced (optional)
• microgreens for garnish (optional)

Instructions

• Heat oven to 400°F and line a large, rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
• Arrange the beets, fennel, carrots, shallots, and garlic in a single layer on the prepared pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt to taste.
• Toss to combine and sprinkle veggies with fresh thyme leaves.
• Place sheet pan in oven and roast until vegetables are tender and lightly charred, approximately 35-40 minutes.
• Transfer the roasted veggies and any juices from the baking sheet to a large soup pot and add chicken broth and pumpkin puree. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until hot, bubbly and beets are tender. Remove from heat.
• Using an immersion blender, blend contents of the soup pot until completely smooth. (Or transfer carefully in batches to a high-speed blender and puree – this way will make it velvety smooth!)
• Stir in the coconut milk, apple cider vinegar, and fresh basil. Top with microgreens if desired, and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Notes

For warmer weather months, try this soup chilled after cooking, like gazpacho!

For coconut-free soup, use this Homemade Tigernut Milk in place of the coconut milk.

GOODIES USED IN THIS RECIPE

Silicon mat

Immersion blender

Additive-free coconut milk