Swiss Chard Soup with Fennel

This Swiss chard fennel soup is a light and flavorful soup. It simmers in a rich bone broth, gets a little natural sweetness from fennel and comes together in one pot in under an hour. I like to make it with shrimp and calamari for extra flavor, but it’s just as good without, so it works whether you want a light vegetable soup or something a bit more substantial.

I like making this soup when I want something nourishing and satisfying without making a heavy meal. It is also a great way to use a bunch of Swiss chard, including the stems that are often left behind in other recipes.

Ingredients for Swiss Chard Fennel Soup

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Swiss chard, stems and leaves, the star of the soup
• Fennel bulb, for a mild sweetness once it cooks
• Onion and garlic, for the flavor base
• Olive oil, for sautéing the vegetables
• Bone broth, for a rich, savory base (or your favorite broth)
• Sea salt and black pepper, for seasoning
• Shrimp and calamari, optional, for a seafood twist
• Lemon juice and green onion tops, for serving

See the recipe card below for exact quantities.

Substitutions and Variations for This Fennel Soup Recipe

• Protein: Leave the seafood out entirely for a vegetarian soup, or swap in shredded rotisserie chicken instead
• Broth: Any broth works here, chicken, vegetable, or fish. Water is fine too if you don’t have broth on hand, just expect a lighter flavor
• Heartier version: Stir in a can of drained white beans or chickpeas along with the chard leaves
• Extra vegetables: Diced carrots is an easy way to bulk this up
• Spice: A pinch of red pepper flakes added with the garlic gives it a little heat

This recipe has not been tested with all substitutions.

How To Make Swiss Chard Soup with Fennel

1. Step 1: Sauté the onion, fennel, and chard stems in olive oil until soft, about 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Step 2: Add the garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook for about a minute until fragrant. Pour in the bone broth and water, then simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Step 3: Stir in the chard leaves, and the seafood if using, and cook gently for 5 more minutes.

4. Step 4: Serve hot with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and, if you like, some thinly sliced green onion tops.

How to Store Swiss Chard Soup

• Refrigerator Store in an airtight container. If made with seafood, eat within 2 to 3 days. Without seafood, it keeps for up to 4 days.

More Soup Recipes You Might Like

Homemade stovetop Bone Broth

FAQ

Other Recipes

You might also like:

Swiss Chard Soup with Fennel

A light, cozy soup with swiss chard, fennel, and a rich bone broth base, with optional shrimp and calamari for extra flavor.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Calories: 245

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 300 g (1 large bunch) swiss chard, stems and leaves separated
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion , finely chopped
• 1 medium fennel bulb , thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 600 ml (2½ cups) bone broth , or any broth
• 400 ml (1⅔ cups) water
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
• 200 g (7oz) calamari, cut into bite sized pieces (optional)
• 200 g (7oz) shrimp, peeled and deveined (optional)
• 1-2 tablespoon lemon juice, for serving
• A small handful green onion tops thinly sliced, for garnish (optional)

Equipment

• Large pot or Dutch oven
• Cutting board
• Ladle

Method

 

1. Wash the swiss chard, then separate the stems from the leaves. Finely chop the stems and roughly chop the leaves, keeping them in separate piles.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
3. Add the onion, sliced fennel and chopped swiss chard stems. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft but not browned.
4. Stir in the garlic, sea salt, and black pepper. Cook for 30 to 60 seconds, until fragrant.
5. Pour in the bone broth and water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, so the vegetables release their flavor into the broth.
6. Stir in the swiss chard leaves. If using seafood, add the calamari and shrimp now. Cook gently, without letting the soup boil, for about 5 minutes, until the seafood is cooked through and the leaves are wilted.
7. Serve hot with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, topped with green onion.

Notes

• Bone broth varies in saltiness by brand, so taste before adding all the salt
• The calamari and shrimp amounts are flexible. Use more or less depending on how seafood forward you want the soup
• See the storage section above for fridge guidance

Nutrition

Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 130mg | Sodium: 810mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g

Nutrition information is estimated and will vary based on the specific ingredients and brands used.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.