Fennel, Bean and SAMBUCA soup - our 500th post!

I thank Suzanne and Jody for putting me back in Chez Toby's good graces so that I can post this soup, which I cut out of the Post years ago and made today for Suzanne and Reeves.

Soak a bag of white beans in a big pot.  When they're soaked, drain the water, pour in enough vegetable stock to cover, and cook them for an hour.

Meanwhile, you can slice the 2 bulbs of fennel in the FP, which gives you 1/8" slices if you push hard and fast on the bulbs.  Recipe calls for 1/4" slices but so what.  Spread them out on 2 greased or lined trays, sprinkle and toss with 1/4 cup roasted almond oil or some non-California wannabe oil, along with 4 big cloves of unpeeled garlic and roast at 350 until they are a bit crisp - - maybe 30 min or more.  At the same time, saute 1/2 sliced onion in some oil until soft.  When the beans are tasty, add the roasted fennel, the garlic extruded from its peel, and the onion to the pot and cook for 10 min or so.  Run this thru the FP (will require a repeat).  Add white pepper, and, once the puree is reasonably cool, 4 T. Sambuca or Pernod, and, if you like, 1/2 cup half and half.  I didn't so I'm not going to dignify this with bolding.   REcipe calls for topping with 1/4 c crumbled blue cheese.  We used parmesan.  Recipe calls for toasted walnuts in the bottom of the bowl.  That or hazelnuts would be a lovely surprise.  You can put a fennel frond atop.