One of my favorite sites is Cathy Fisher's "www.straightupfood.com". This is one of her creations. I was taken with this recipe because of the 'fennel' addition. Fennel is a mainstay of the Sicilian culture and, as such, was always on our table at dinner. Fennel is a great addition to salads, to soups, and to stuffed zucchini. So make friends with fennel and enjoy!

8 large carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 sweet yellow onion, diced in large pieces
1 large fresh fennel bulb, diced in large pieces
1/2 cup water
5 cups water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried marjoram
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground fennel seed (you can take fennel seeds and grind them in coffee grinder)
1 cup water

Spread the onion and fennel evenly in a 13 x 9 baking dish; place the carrots on top (so the onions and fennel do not get dried out) and pour in a half cup of water. Cook uncovered at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes, or until carrots are easily pierced with a knife and lightly browned.

Transfer the roasted veggies to a large soup pot and add the remaining ingredients - except the last 1 cup of water. Cook at a lively simmer for 15-20 minutes until all veggies are very soft. Add the remaining 1 cup of water.

Next, blend the soup until it is smooth using an immersion blender or by transferring the soup to a blender,( to be blended in batches and then back in the pot). Garnish soup with fresh fennel slices.
Makes 8 cups.