Apple And Fennel Soup

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large shallot, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 large bulb fennel, cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 2 large or 3 small tart, crisp apples such as Honeycrisp, Gravenstein, or Granny Smith, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 2 stalks celery, sliced in 1/2-inch pieces, leaves and all
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon honey or sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup watercress
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons chopped fennel fronds
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

1. Melt butter over medium heat in an 8-quart saucepan.
2. Add shallot and garlic and sweat for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant and translucent.
3. Add fennel, apple, celery, lemon, honey (or sugar), salt, and chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
4. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until everything is very tender and cooked through.
5. Remove from heat and toss in the greens and herbs. Puree the soup in two batches. At this point you can either simply return it to the pot or pass it through a mesh sieve for a more refined texture. I prefer the sieve, but it's up to you.
6. Stir in the cream and adjust the seasoning to taste. Serve garnished with chopped mint, fennel, and thyme.

unsalted butter, shallot, garlic, bulb fennel, apples, stalks celery, lemon juice, honey, kosher salt, chicken stock, watercress, fresh mint, thyme, fennel fronds, heavy cream

Taken from food52.com/recipes/23693-apple-and-fennel-soup (may not work)