Roasted Fennel with Garlic & Herbs (Soft & Caramelised) (2024)

FAQs

Which herb goes well with fennel? ›

Herbs: Fennel pairs well with fresh herbs such as dill, parsley, and thyme. Cheese: Fennel pairs well with cheeses such as parmesan, feta, and goat cheese. Nuts: Fennel pairs well with nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, and pine nuts. Meat: Fennel pairs well with meats such as pork, sausage, and chicken.

The heat caramelizes its edges, turning it from crunchy to meltingly tender in less than 30 minutes. Plus, the licorice flavor dominant in raw fennel is tamed in the oven, turning this often underused vegetable sweet and mellow.

Roasted fennel has a buttery, caramelized flavor with very mild licorice notes while raw fennel provides a crunch and sweet, stronger licorice flavor like in our Easy Fennel Salad. We also love a sautéed version such as in our Spicy Gnocchi with Fennel and Mushrooms.

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

Some studies have found that fennel has an estrogenic effect, which means that it mimics the effects of estrogen. Pregnant and breast-feeding women should not drink fennel tea. People with cancers that are sensitive to estrogen should also avoid the use of fennel.

Thanks to its aniseedy, dill-like taste, it's so good with seafood, in salads, or tossed through pasta and risottos. It's also great with chicken, pork or cheese.

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.

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.

Fennel contains many antioxidant compounds including rosmarinic acid, chlorogenic acid, quercetin, and apigenin. Antioxidants can help fight cell damage from free radicals and reduce your risk of many chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

Fennel really shines when paired with both bright citrus-y as well as deeply savory meat-based dishes (our lemony orzo and chicken soup is delicious proof of both).

What are the disadvantages of eating too much fennel? ›

Eating excess fennel seeds can lead to digestive Issues: Including bloating, gas, or diarrhoea. Excessive amounts may affect hormone levels.

If you're especially sensitive to licorice flavor, you may even find raw fennel to be too pungent for your tastes. To tone down the flavor, Chowhound suggests slicing or chopping fennel and soaking it in water for half an hour.

Is fennel a spice, herb, or vegetable? Actually, it's all three. Fennel plants, which are native to the Mediterranean basin, have a bulbous base that can be eaten like a vegetable, feathery fronds that are used as an herb, and seeds that can be dried for a spice.

The sweet scent of Fennel essential oil blends well with spicy oils like Cinnamon. You can also bring out the bright, sweet notes of citrus oils like Lime by blending them with Fennel.

Light, healthy, and super easy to assemble, this salad is perfect for a quick desk lunch or as a side to any hearty soup. We recommend slicing the fennel very thin to bring out the best flavor.