Fennel, with its distinctive anise-like flavor and crisp texture, is a versatile vegetable that adds a unique twist to any dish. From salads to soups, to main dishes, the possibilities are endless when it comes to incorporating fennel into your culinary repertoire.
In this post, we’ll explore 30+ fantastic fennel recipes that showcase the incredible flavors and textures this vegetable has to offer.
Prepare to be inspired by these delightful dishes and get ready to embark on a flavorful fennel adventure!
The BEST Recipes Using Fennel
This Fennel Pasta recipe features fresh linguini tossed in a light lemon sauce with roasted fennel. It’s topped with dollop of ricotta cheese for extra richness.
This Shaved Fennel Salad comes together quickly and has such a delicious light lemon vinaigrette and wonderful crunch. It's the perfect side salad for rich and hearty dishes like pasta or braised short ribs.
This Fennel and Chickpea Salad is tossed in a light citrus vinaigrette & topped with parmesan. It’s the perfect make-ahead salad for potlucks or lunches.
This Sausage & Fennel Ragout is one of my favorite dishes. It’s got tons of flavor and is the perfect comfort food. Served over a bowl of hearty grains and topped with parmesan cheese.
This speedy, easy gnocchi sauce recipe gets its magic from a few simple, powerful ingredients and is sure to please! Fennel bulbs sit right at the center of this recipe. They taste bright, herbaceous and springy and, best of all, are in season in the winter.
This pasta with roasted fennel bulb combines that irresistible sweetness with white wine, heavy cream, lemon, and a little chili flake to make a simple pasta dish that feels very luxurious, with a very approachable cook time.
This simple arugula salad with fennel and cheese is a creative salad recipe with just a few ingredients! It pairs with so many meals and is quick to make.
This easy rustic roasted beet and goat cheese tart relies on store-bought puff pastry for an easy shortcut. The rolled out dough is topped off with crumbled goat cheese, slices of roasted beets, shaved fennel and walnuts for a creamy and earthy tart.
Creamy No Mayo Coleslaw with Apples and Fennel is a crunchy and addictive cabbage slaw with apples and fennel, tossed in a creamy no mayo coleslaw dressing!
Fennel Juice is a mild green vegetable juice that you can make using a blender or a juicer. It has a mild licorice or anise flavor. Try this delicious green juice today!
Mussels in Creamy Fennel Tomato Broth sounds complicated, but is ready in minutes and makes a perfect dish to impress dinner guests. Serve with spaghetti or crusty bread!
Warm Caramelized Fennel and Leek Cheese Dip is a perfect mix of creamy and sweet and very savory. I like to eat it with bread but crackers will do the trick too.
Oven Roasted Potatoes and Fennel, a simple, delicious vegetarian dish combining two favorite vegetables and makes an excellent side dish to any main meal.
Many of these recipes can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for a few days or even in the freezer. Simply check the individual recipes for full storing instructions and details on how to make ahead.
Please leave a comment and rating below, if you loved this round up of recipes using fennel. Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.
Fennel, with its distinctive anise-like flavor and crisp texture, is a versatile vegetable that adds a unique twist to any dish. Try his Fennel Pasta recipe. It features fresh linguini tossed in a light lemon sauce with roasted fennel. It's topped with dollop of ricotta cheese for extra richness.
Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high.
Pick off and mince a few of the fennel fronds. Cut off and discard the fennel stems. Halve and core the fennel bulb; slice into ½-inch-thick strips. Place the sliced fennel on a sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss thoroughly to coat. Arrange in a single layer and roast, 18-20 minutes, tossing halfway through, until tender and golden.
While the fennel roasts, combine the ricotta cheese and the juice of one of the lemon halves; season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic, shallot and half the parsley. Cook until fragrant and softened. Add the breadcrumbs and toast over medium heat, until browned. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and transfer to a small bowl. Wipe out the pan.
In the now clean skillet, combine lemon zest, juice of the remaining lemon half, ½ cup water, and 2 tablespoons olive oil; heat to boiling on high heat and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
Boil the pasta until just short of al dente. Reserving ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water, drain the pasta and add it to the skillet of sauce. Add the roasted fennel, minced fennel fronds and reserved cooking water. Cook on medium-high, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is well coated in the sauce.
Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper, to taste, top with breadcrumb mixture, a dollop of the ricotta mixture, and remaining chopped parsley.