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1
Trim the stalks and the root end of the fennel. Reserve some of the fennel fronds, but discard stalks and tough root. Cut the fennel bulb in half, and slice out the core. Discard core. Chop remaining fennel into 1/2-inch pieces.
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2
Warm butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped fennel, scallion, garlic and jalapeno, and saute until the fennel starts to soften (about 5 minutes). Add coconut milk, and simmer for 2 minutes. Add water, rainbow chard leaves and salt, and cook until the leaves are tender (about 5 minutes).
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3
Transfer soup to a blender with a handful of baby spinach leaves, and blend until smooth. You can add a little water if the soup is too thick. Season to taste with lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon) and additional salt.
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4
To serve, divide soup between 2 bowls (entree) or 4 bowls (appetizer), and top with Greek yogurt, toasted chopped almonds, toasted coconut flakes, sliced scallion greens, and pickled chard stems.
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5
Cut each stem into a 1/4-inch dice, separating the white/yellow pieces and the red/pink pieces into different bowls. To the bowl with the white and yellow stems, add a few reserved fennel fronds and a small pinch of fennel seeds. To the bowl with the red and pink stems, add 1/2 a garlic clove and a small pinch of red chile flakes.
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6
In a small saucepan, warm vinegar, water, salt and sugar, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, let bubble for a minute, then take off the heat. Divide the pickling liquid between the two bowls, and let stems pickle for 1 hour before serving. Store pickled chard stems covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
