Fennel & Fish Chowder

Super quick fish chowder. I used cod because it’s a firm, meaty, flaky fish that’s pretty easy on the budget and difficult to overcook. I even found it wild-caught in the freezer section of the grocery store. Besides using my new favorite soup base of the cream-like, non-coconut tasting coconut creamer, I took out the normal chowder base of starchy potatoes and used fennel in its place, for texture and the nice anise flavor it adds.

Ingredients

• 2 fennel bulbs, fronds and core removed, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• F.O.C. (fat of choice)
• 1 pint original coconut creamer
• 1 qt stock (I’d use chicken or veg, as beef may be too strong and tinge the color of the soup)
• 1-1½ lb cod (not salt cod), cut into chunks
• juice of ½ lemon
• s&p
• 5 slices bacon, crisped up & crumbled (optional)
• green onions or chives, chopped (optional)

Method

In a large soup pot, saute the fennel and onion in a few tablespoons of your F.O.C. (I’d recommend bacon renderings!) until soft. Add the creamer & stock. Let it come to a simmer. Add the fish pieces and let them poach until they’re cooked through, about 10 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice. Serve topped with crumbled bacon & chives.