Fennel Stew

Ingredients

• 1 kg fennel (with plenty of greens)
• 1 bunch spring onions
• 3 tbsp chopped parsley
• 6 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 small can chickpeas (240 g drained weight)
• Salt
• pepper (from grinder)
• 4 slices white bread
• 1 small head garlic (cut crosswise)
• 4 tbsp freshly grated pecorino

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash, trim the fennel and set aside the greens. Quarter the bulbs and cut into strips. Clean and slice the spring onions into thin rings.

2. 2.

   Sauté the vegetables in 4 tbsp hot oil in a pot for about 1 minute while stirring, pour in 1¼ L boiling water and simmer covered over low heat for about 20 minutes. Drain the chickpeas in a sieve, add them to the soup with parsley and warm through, seasoning with salt and pepper. Chop the fennel greens. Brush both sides of the bread slices with the remaining olive oil and fry them in a pan until they begin to brown. Remove, rub with garlic, arrange on soup plates, sprinkle with cheese and top with hot soup. Serve the fennel stew sprinkled with fennel greens.