Buttered tomato soup with lentils and fennel contains a vibrant, buttery mixture of tomatoes, fennel, onion, and broth.

Published on February 3, 2026

Credit:

Carson Downing / Food Styling: Annie Probst

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Buttered tomato soup with lentils and fennel contains a vibrant, buttery mixture of canned tomatoes, thinly sliced fennel, onion, and broth. This winning combination of flavors from cookbook author Alison Roman makes it perfect for serving as a side dish or a main course. Although it takes over an hour to complete, this dish can be made five days ahead and kept in the refrigerator, or it can be made three months ahead and put in the freezer. That way, you can enjoy it whenever you have the craving.

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Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (or more olive oil)

  • 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced (2 cups)

  • 1 medium yellow or red onion or 2 large shallots, thinly sliced (1 cup)

  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

  • 2 tsp. fennel seed

  • 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper, plus more

  • 6 cups water, vegetable broth, or chicken broth

  • 1 (28-oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand

  • 3/4 cup dry red lentils

  • Sour cream, full-fat yogurt, or Parmesan cheese, if you like

Directions

  1. Heat the butter and 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the fennel and onion. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fennel and onion are completely softened and start to caramelize a bit, 10 to 12 minutes. (This builds a lot of flavor for your soup— don’t rush it.)

  2. Add the garlic, fennel seed, and crushed red pepper, stirring to encourage contact with the pot so the spices have a chance to toast for a minute or two. Add water or broth, crushed tomatoes, and lentils.

  3. Season everything with salt and pepper and bring to a strong simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the lentils have nearly disappeared into the pot, 45 to 50 minutes. Stir every now and then (especially toward the end of cooking) to encourage the lentils and tomatoes to break down. If the soup doesn’t feel quite thick enough, increase the heat slightly and continue to cook until it happens.

  4. To serve, give the soup one more season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and finish with more olive oil, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Or top with sour cream, yogurt, or Parmesan. Serves 4.

Credits

Recipes excerpted from the book Something from Nothing: A Cookbook by Alison Roman. Copyright © 2025 by Alison Roman. Published in the United States by Clarkson Potter Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.