Vegetable Soup with Fennel and Pine Nut Toasts

Meh. Not great. As usual, Rachael Ray's recipes prove to be a bit too bland.

Vegetable Soup with Fennel and Pine Nut Toasts
Courtesy of Rachael Ray



3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large bulbs fennel; quartered, cored and coarsely chopped, fronds reserved for garnish
1 large onion, chopped
4 celery ribs with leafy tops, thinly sliced on an angle
3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced on an angle
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
2 32-ounce containers (8 cups) chicken broth
1/2 pound egg noodles
1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts, chopped
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 loaf ciabatta bread, split
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

In a soup pot, heat the oil, 3 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the fennel, onion, celery, carrots, garlic and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are softened, 10 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the egg noodles and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes.

Preheat the broiler. Using a food processor, combine the cheese, nuts and butter. Lightly toast the ciabatta halves under the broiler for about 2 minutes. Spread the cheese mixture on the toast and melt under the broiler. Cut into eighths.

Discard the bay leaf; sprinkle the fennel fronds on the soup. Add the lemon peel. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with the toasts for dunking.