Melissa's Lentil, Chestnut, and Fennel Soup with Lemon Herb Potatoes and Avocado Lemon-Sourdough Sandwich

We bought more great soup from our local soup-maker Melissa; this weekend she made Tomato, Root Vegetable, and Wild Rice Soup. and a Lentil, Chestnut, and Fennel one. Regarding the latter, she had described its production as "a labor intensive venture" that she thinks came out as one of her best soups.

I served her lentil soup with some lemon herb potatoes from Whole Foods Market and avocado slices on yummy lemon sourdough bread. I used a gourmet mustard, California Harvest brand of Green Olive and Lemon Mustard with Roasted Garlic, on the bread.

Wow, Melissa's soup was excellent! It had a lot of subtle flavors, and that fennel really subtly contributed to the taste. It has been years since I have cooked with fennel, and I should explore using it in my dinners.