30+ Fennel Bulb Recipes (2024)

August 4, 2023June 15, 2023 by Erin

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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.

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This Fennel Celery Salad comes together quickly and has such a delicious light lemon-parmesan vinaigrette and wonderful crunch. It's the perfect side salad for rich and hearty dishes like pasta or braised short ribs.

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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.

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Adored for its melt-in-your-mouth flavor and texture, roasted fennel is delicious and impressive yet crazy simple.

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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.

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Slow Roasted Citrus Salmon with Fennel and Parmesan is the perfect winter dish! It's healthy, cozy, pretty, simple & most importantly – SO good!

Get the RECIPE from Half Baked Harvest

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.

Get the RECIPE from The Modern Proper

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.

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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.

Get the RECIPE from Salt and Lavender

How to Make Ahead and Store

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.

More Vegetable Recipes

Arugula Recipes
Brussel Sprout Recipes
Broccoli Recipes
Carrot Recipes
Celery Recipes
Daikon Radish Recipes
Kale Recipes
Potato Recipes
Red Cabbage Recipes
Zucchini Recipes

Did you Make Any of These Fennel Bulb Recipes?

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 onInstagramusing the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.

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30+ Tasty Fresh Fennel Recipes

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.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 2 servings

Created by Platings and Pairings

Ingredients

10 ounces Fresh Linguine
1 medium Fennel Bulb
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
⅓ cup Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese
3 cloves Garlic (minced)
1 Lemon (zested and halved )
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 Shallot (minced)
¼ cup Breadcrumbs
Salt and Pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450°F.
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.

Did you make this recipe?Mention @platingsandpairings or tag #platingsandpairings!

Nutrition

FAQs

How much of the fennel bulb can you eat? ›

Every part of it is edible, from the bulb to the flowers, and it can be eaten raw or cooked. Though the stalks and leaves are edible, fennel recipes most often call for the bulb. When raw, it has a crisp texture similar to celery and a fresh licorice flavor.

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How many fennel bulbs for 1 cup chopped? ›

We decided to use 1 medium fennel bulb for our calculations. We then started preparing and slicing our sample and found it took about 2/3 of the fennel bulb to reach the 1 cup mark. The 1 cup of sliced fennel bulb weighed about 3 ounces (90 grams).

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What is the healthiest way to eat fennel? ›

The bottom line

Adding them to your diet may improve heart health, reduce inflammation, suppress appetite, and even provide anticancer effects. To reap the benefits of fennel and its seeds, try incorporating raw fennel bulb into your salads or using the seeds to flavor soups, broths, baked goods, and fish dishes.

Why do chefs use fennel so much? ›

Though often overlooked by home cooks, this versatile ingredient is beloved by chefs for its pleasantly sweet, fresh flavor and mild aromatic character.

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What are the disadvantages of eating too much fennel? ›

Excess consumption of fennel may worsen kidney disorders, slow down the clotting process, disrupt hormone-sensitive conditions, and can cause chronic skin allergies.

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Can too much fennel be bad? ›

When taken by mouth: Fennel is commonly consumed in foods. It is possibly safe when used as medicine at appropriate doses for a short period of time. There isn't enough reliable information to know whether fennel is safe when used long-term. Although rare, side effects might include stomach upset and seizures.

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How many cups is one fennel? ›

The denuded fennel bulb might not look like much, but a medium bulb will yield about 4 cups of sliced fennel -- plenty for a salad, saute or soup. You may find small (about 8 ounces), medium (about 11 to 12 ounces) and large (about a pound) bulbs of fennel at the market.

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Can you cook all parts of fennel? ›

Technically speaking, all parts of the plant are edible, but most people will find the stalks too tough and fibrous to eat. The leaves can be chopped and used to flavor salads, dressings, marinades and sauces. They tend to have a slightly more citrusy flavor than the base. The base (or bulb) is delicious raw or cooked.

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Can you eat all of a fennel bulb? ›

Actually, all parts of the fennel plant are edible, from its tender leaves to its plump seeds. And we recommend: Please do! We collected a few tips and tricks of how to make use of your entire fennel plant. The bulb is great both raw and cooked.

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Who should not take fennel? ›

Before taking this medicine

You should not use this product if you are allergic to fennel or if you have: past or present cancer of the breast, ovary, or uterus; or. a history of endometriosis or uterine fibroids.

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Is fennel good for belly fat? ›

Fennel seeds alone are unlikely to directly reduce belly fat. However, they can be a part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle, potentially aiding in weight management by promoting digestion and curbing appetite, which may indirectly contribute to reducing belly fat over time.