1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced (or 2 celery stalks or 200 g mushrooms)
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 lemon (zest + 2 tbsp juice)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp smoked or sweet paprika (optional)
1 x 400 g can white beans (cannellini or navy), drained and rinsed
400 ml vegetable or chicken stock
6–8 fresh sardines (about 400–500 g total), gutted, scaled, rinsed and patted dry
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Small handful parsley or chives, chopped, for garnish
Preparation
Prep the sardines: gut, scale, and rinse. Pat dry and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Caramelize veg: heat oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add fennel and shallots and cook until soft and starting to caramelize, about 8–10 minutes. Add garlic and paprika and cook 30–60 seconds. Stir in lemon zest.
Add beans & stock: pour in stock and add beans. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 5–8 minutes so flavours meld. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Cook sardines: while the broth simmers, heat a separate skillet over medium‑high with a little oil. Sear sardines 2–3 minutes per side until cooked through and the skin is crisp. Avoid overcooking.
Finish: add lemon juice to the broth. Gently fold whole or halved sardines into the soup (or place sardines on top of each bowl). Warm 1 minute to combine.
Serve: garnish with chopped parsley or chives and lemon wedges. Serve with crusty bread.
