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Bowl of fennel and white bean soup, hearty and rustic — RIPE Europe recipe
Batch 022

Fennel and
white bean soup.

Hearty meal Liquid Gold Batch 022
50 minutes Serves 6 Liquid Gold

A soup that doubles as a pantry meal. Fennel and white beans do most of the work; a Parmesan rind dropped in at the start gives the broth its body. We finish it with kale, lemon and a fresh grating of cheese on top.

Method
  1. Warm the olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and fennel and cook gently for 8-10 minutes until softened.
  2. Stir in the garlic and thyme, and let them cook for a minute.
  3. Pour in the white wine and let it bubble down for a couple of minutes.
  4. Add the broth, bay leaf, drained beans, Parmesan rind, salt and pepper. Bring to a low simmer.
  5. Simmer for 20 minutes to let the flavours come together.
  6. Stir in the kale or chard and cook for another 5 minutes, until just wilted.
  7. Reduce the liquid to your liking, thicker or brothier as you prefer.
  8. Fish out the rind. Serve with chopped parsley, a squeeze of lemon, and grated Parmesan.
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"Save Parmesan rinds in the freezer. They quietly transform a soup like this one."
— from the kitchen, on this recipe
Common questions

A few things people ask.

Liquid Gold is the better fit; beef broth overwhelms the fennel and the Parmesan rind. If you only have beef, dilute it with a third water and use less salt, and accept that the soup will read as more wintery than the recipe intends.
Yes, if you want the broth's quiet body. The rind releases salt, fat and umami slowly over the simmer, which is what gives the soup its weight without cream. Cheesemongers will sell you rinds cheaply; we keep a bag of them in the freezer for this purpose.
Yes. 250g dried cannellini, soaked overnight and cooked in water until tender, gives you roughly the equivalent of three tins. The cooking liquor itself is excellent; add a ladle of it to the soup along with the beans.
Yes, and it improves. Make it up to three days in advance; the beans absorb the broth and the soup thickens slightly. Add the kale fresh when you reheat, otherwise it goes army-coloured. Lemon and Parmesan at the table.
Yes, for up to three months. Freeze without the kale and Parmesan finish; both go better fresh. Defrost overnight in the fridge.
Yes, the soup is gluten-free. Just check the white wine; most are, but some are fined with wheat-based agents. Our broth and the Parmesan are fine.

Cooked, tested and written by Sinead McInerney in our Lisbon kitchen. Last reviewed: June 2026.