3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, quartered and thinly sliced
2 medium fennel bulbs (about 1 1/4 pounds), trimmed, quartered from root to stalk, and thinly sliced
4 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp fennel seeds
two 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes
water
3/4 tsp salt, or to taste
sugar, to taste
red wine vinegar, to taste
In a large (5-quart) pot or Dutch oven, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and fennel, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion just starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently – garlic has a tendency to burn – until the onion is translucent and very soft, 5 to 8 minutes more. Add the thyme and fennel seeds and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Using your hand to hold back the tomatoes, pour the liquid from the tomato cans into the pot. Stir well. Crush the tomatoes in their cans, using your hands or a potato masher to tear and mash them into small chunks. Add the tomatoes to the pot. Then fill 1 empty tomato can with cold water and pour it in, too. Bring to a boil. Then adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook, uncovered for about 45 minutes.
The soup is ready when the fennel is very tender and a spoonful of the tomatoey broth tastes like a goo, full-bodied soup. (It if hasn’t cooked long enough, it will taste watery and raw, like tomatoes straight from the can.) Add the salt. Taste and adjust as needed. If the tomatoes need a little sweetness, add a pinch or two of sugar. If the soup tastes a little bland, add a small splash of vinegar. Molly notes she often adds both.
Serve hot. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.
From Molly Wizenberg and here
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