Carrot Fennel Mystery Soup

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fennel seed
• 1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 pear - peeled, cored, and diced
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 small russet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 3 (14 ounce) cans vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons uncooked brown rice
• 1 tablespoon flax seed
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Lightly toast the fennel seed in the hot oil until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the carrots, pear, sweet potato, russet potato, mushrooms, curry powder, and turmeric to the fennel seed; cook and stir until everything is evenly coated in oil, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the vegetable broth over the mixture. Stir the rice, flax seed, bay leaves, and parsley into the broth; bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the rice and vegetables are very tender, about 30 minutes.
2. Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway. Hold the lid of the blender in place with a towel and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the mixture moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot and return to heat.
3. Stir the lemon juice and white pepper into the mixture; cook until thoroughly reheated, about 5 minutes.

olive oil, fennel seed, carrots, pear, sweet potato, russet potato, mushrooms, curry powder, ground turmeric, vegetable broth, brown rice, flax seed, bay leaves, parsley, lemon juice, ground white pepper

Taken from www.allrecipes.com/recipe/215801/carrot-fennel-mystery-soup/ (may not work)