Fennel And Tomato Soup WAY Exceeds My Expectations!

I made this recipe from the January/February 2012 issue of Vegetarian Times (www.vegetariantimes.com) and let me tell you, it was so freaking good! To be honest, I had a bulb of fennel hanging out in the back of the fridge, looking kind of sad, for a week or so and needed to either make something with it, or compost it. And, before discovering this ridiculously simple recipe, I had never really cooked with whole fennel before, just the seeds. So, after wrapping my head around a recipe that didn't call for ANY garlic OR onion, peeling the somewhat icky outer layer from the bulb and huffing the black licorice smell for a minute, I made this...

Fennel and Tomato Soup

Serves 6 (in my case, 2 a few times)

2 TBS olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, diced (4 C)
3 vegan Italian sausages, sliced into 1/2-inch thick rounds
(2 C)*
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 TBS dry vermouth, dry white wine or water
4 C low-sodium vegetable broth
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano-style
3 TBS chopped fresh Italian parsley
Pasta shells or corkscrews (optional)

Heat oil in soup pot over medium heat. Add diced fennel and sauté 3-5 min. Stir in sausages if you're using them and fennel seeds. Cook 5-7 minutes or until fennel seeds are slightly softened and bits of "sausage" are stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add vermouth and cook about 10 seconds to deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits. Add broth, tomatoes and parsley. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper if desired (it didn't really need either, imo). Garnish with fennel fronds or more fresh parsley. Eat!

*I used Tofurkey Italian Sausages, but if you're watching calories, skip the sausage. I didn't think it added much, flavor-wise, and those bad boys pack 150+ calories a piece!

Nutritional information per 1-2/3 cup serving (with sausage): 163 cal, 6g protein, 8g total fat, 2g saturated, 19g carbohydrates, 0mg cholesterol, 380mg sodium, 5g fiber, 2g sugar.
WW Points: 3 if you skip the "sausage, 6 if you add it.

UPDATE: If you want a more hearty soup, which I often do, you can add some pasta shells or corkscrews. I'm a sucker for the pasta! Just cook it separately and put as much as you like in when it's ready to serve.