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.

Get the RECIPE from The Modern Proper

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.

Get the RECIPE from The Modern Proper

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).

Why do you soak fennel in water? ›

It helps in regulating the flow of the blood, thus reducing the pain caused by cramps. Soak fennel seeds in water overnight and have them first thing in the morning.

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What is a bad companion plant for fennel? ›

Distance from Sensitive Plants:

Keep fennel away from plants it might harm, such as tomatoes, beans, and peas. A good rule of thumb is to plant fennel at least 4 to 5 feet away from these sensitive plants.

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How much fennel should I eat per day? ›

How Much Fennel Seeds Can I Take Daily? Fennel seeds are heaped with volatile oils than the plant, so it is ideal to take about 1 teaspoon (6 grams) of dried whole fennel seeds in your daily cooking. Roasted fennel seeds when added to the dishes give a distinct sweet flavour.

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What part of fennel bulb do you eat? ›

Most recipes that call for fennel are referring to the bulb, the swollen bottom end of the plant. The fennel bulb is enjoyed raw, where its anise flavor is most pronounced, and cooked for a sweeter, mellower version of itself. But don't pitch the rest! The entire fennel plant is not only edible but delicious.

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Can you eat the core of a fennel bulb? ›

In the case of fennel, the core is entirely edible, if a tiny bit firmer than the rest of the bulb. This means you can either leave it in or cut it out. Leaving it in will produce slices that each contain multiple layers of fennel, all held together by the core.

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How much fennel can you eat a day? ›

In most cases, a teaspoon of fennel seed a day will not result in any serious complications or reactions. The risk of stomach pain, vomiting and having an allergic reaction is much higher when taken in oil, extract or supplement form.

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Can you eat the root of a fennel bulb? ›

Fennel roots are best suited for cooked applications such as boiling and roasting. The taproots can be diced and roasted with other root vegetables, boiled and sliced into salads, used as an edible garnish on plates, or cooked and pureed into soups as a thickener.

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