Let's start with cutting all the vegetables! Remove the outer layer of the garlic, and cut the garlic into slices. Clean and cut the tomatoes in cubes, the bulb of fennel in slices and the shallot in slices.
Cooking
Add some olive oil to the cooking pot, and turn on the heat. Once hot, you can add the garlic, shallot, tomato cubes and fennel. Bake this for about 5 minutes or until the onion is glossy.
Time to add the passata, water and stock cube. Bring this to a boil and cook for at least 30 minutes.
Blending
Blend the soup until smooth and season with some additional salt & pepper.
Croutons
In order to make some homemade croutons: preheat your oven on 180 degrees Celsius or 356 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the bread in cubes or tear into small pieces. Divide some olive oil, salt and pepper on the bread, and mix this. Toast the bread until crisp and golden brown (5-10 minutes).
Serving
Serve the soup with the croutons and the green herbs from the bulb of fennel! Enjoy!