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    Home » Recipes » Side Dishes

    Published: Apr 1, 2023 by Anina Belle Giannini

    Roasted Fennel

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    Roasted fennel is healthy side dish that pairs beautifully with fish or chicken. If you are interested in healthy eating this is one of my favorite ways to serve a light, satisfying dish.

    Roasting the fennel bulbs with simple ingredients, a little bit of olive oil and a sprinkling of fresh herbs is the best way to enjoy this vegetable. You will love this Roasted Fennel recipe!

    roasted fennel with tomatoes

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    I love eating raw fennel wedges for its delicious flavor that tastes slightly of black licorice and crunchy texture. However, when roasted, fennel is a revelation! The flesh is tender and satisfying and the roasting brings out the natural sweetness of the vegetable.

    You will love to serve roasted fennel with Roast Chicken, Chicken breast, Salmon or with grilled Branzino like we do in the south of France. Fennel is also perfect for BBQ season.

    Mediterranean Branzino Filet Recipe with Vierge Sauce Story Cover Image

    Fennel is an amazing side dish but can also become a main dish by adding parmesan cheese over the top once roasted.

    I was surprised to learn that fennel is such an underused vegetable in North America - it is a key ingredient in French and Italian recipes, it will be wonderful addition to your weekly menu.

    I have a great recipe for fennel salad which you will enjoy as well.

    tomatoes and sliced fennel in a clear bowl
    Fennel and Tomato Salad

    Feel free to add other roasted veggies to the pan as well for variety. Parsnips, tomatoes, carrots and potatoes all roast very well with fennel.

    Step by step instructions in the recipe card below.

    Fresh Fennel bulbs and tomatoes on a marble table
    Farmer's Market bounty

    Ingredients

    4 bulbs of fresh fennel

    8 campari tomatoes, halved (or 4 garden tomatoes, cut into quarters)

    2 tbsps of extra virgin olive oil

    2 tbsp of herbs de Provence (or fresh oregano, thyme and rosemary if you have them)

    Teaspoon of sea salt

    1 lemon (lemon juice and lemon zest)

    Cooking time: 1 hour in a hot oven

    Instructions

    Roasted Fennel ready to roast in a pan with olive oil

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

    Slice the green fronds off the fennel bulbs and discard (or make into a tea if you wish!)

    Peel off the outer layers of each white bulb, discard.

    Standing the fennel bulb on its base, cut width wise all the way down, so it is cut in half. Then cut each half into thick slices.

    Slice out the bottom core out of each wedge as the core can be a little more bitter in flavor and tougher in texture.

    Spread cut fennel in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet.

    Sprinkle generously with olive oil, sea salt and herbes de provence or fresh herbs.

    Place tray in preheated oven on the middle rack.

    Roast for a half hour.

    Remove the tray from the oven and flip the fennel slices so that they roast evenly on both sides.

    Add in the tomato slices and drizzle with a little more olive oil.

    Roast for another half hour until the fennel is translucent in color and softened.

    You will see, roasting the fennel makes for nice, crispy edges. Truly the good stuff!

    Serve immediately.

    roasted fennel in a pan with tomatoes

    What is Fennel?

    Fennel is a root vegetable and member of the carrot family. Fennel fronds can be used for tea or cooking similar to fresh dill. The vegetable makes for a great side dish with roast chicken or fish.

    Where to find Fennel?

    In the produce section of your grocery store or at any farmer's market. I always buy a few bulbs when I see them. I enjoy eating fennel wedges raw too, they have a nice, natural sweetness.

    What wine to drink with Fennel

    Fennel has a black licorice flavor so it pairs better with wines that are round and slightly buttery such as a chardonnay or a pinot blanc. While I love a crisp, white wine such as a pinot gris, I find that the acidity between the fennel and pinot gris are not as balanced as with a chardonnay.

    Other healthy recipes you will enjoy on lechefswife.com

    Confit Bayaldi a dish of layered eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes and onions
    Confit Bayaldi by Chef Sébastien Giannini

    Confit Bayaldi

    La Salade Niçoise

    Nicoise salad - tomatoes, artichokes, capers, cucumbers olives and capers with tuna

    Grilled Branzino with Vierge Sauce

    La Salade Mentonnaise

    la salade mentonnaise : fennel, oranges, pine nuts, artichokes and greens in a serving bowl

    La Soupe au Pistou

    Soupe au Pistou

    Let me know if you enjoyed this roasted fennel recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below. I love to hear from you.

    Au plaisir,

    Le Chef's Wife

    ABOUT LE CHEF'S WIFE

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    Bonjour! I am Anina Belle. I translate the fancy cooking of my Michelin-star trained French Chef Husband, Le Chef, into easy to make dishes that busy people with no culinary training (like me!) can make at home. We have two young kids (5 and 2) and I have a full time job in hospitality in addition to this blog. I strongly believe that busy people deserve to eat well at home.

    We were just recently featured on the TODAY SHOW for our recipes of French Onion Soup Gratinée and Moelleux au Chocolat. You can watch our full segment here:

    I share our home cooking on Instagram, pinterest and tiktok. Sign up for my newsletter to be the first to receive my new recipes and have advance access to cooking classes. I look forward to cooking with you!

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    roasted fennel with tomatoes

    Roasted Fennel

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
    • Author: Anina Belle Gianini
    • Prep Time: 5 minutes
    • Cook Time: 1 hour
    • Total Time: 1h5
    • Yield: 4 1x
    • Category: side dishes
    • Method: oven roasted
    • Cuisine: vegetarian, vegan
    • Diet: Vegan
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    Roasted fennel is healthy side dish that pairs beautifully with fish or chicken. If you are interested in healthy eating this is one of my favorite ways to serve a light, satisfying dish.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 4 bulbs of fresh fennel
    • 8 campari tomatoes, halved (or 4 garden tomatoes, cut into quarters)
    • 2 tbsps of extra virgin olive oil
    • 2 tbsp of herbs de Provence (or fresh oregano, thyme and rosemary if you have them)
    • Teaspoon of sea salt

    • 1 lemon (lemon juice and lemon zest)

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
    2. Slice the green fronds off the fennel bulbs and discard (or make into a tea if you wish!)
    3. Peel off the outer layers of each white bulb, discard.
    4. Standing the fennel bulb on its base, cut width wise all the way down, so it is cut in half. Then cut each half into thick slices.
    5. Slice out the bottom core out of each wedge as the core can be a little more bitter in flavor and tougher in texture.
    6. Spread cut fennel in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet.
    7. Sprinkle generously with olive oil, sea salt and herbes de provence or fresh herbs.
    8. Place tray in preheated oven on the middle rack.
    9. Roast for a half hour.
    10. Remove the tray from the oven and flip the fennel slices so that they roast evenly on both sides.
    11. Add in the tomato slices and drizzle with a little more olive oil.
    12. Roast for another half hour until the fennel is translucent in color and softened.
    13. You will see, roasting the fennel makes for nice, crispy edges. Truly the good stuff!

    14. Serve immediately.

    Notes

    What wine to drink with Fennel

    Fennel has a black licorice flavor so it pairs better with wines that are round and slightly buttery such as a chardonnay or a pinot blanc. While I love a crisp, white wine such as a pinot gris, I find that the acidity between the fennel and pinot gris are not as balanced as with a chardonnay.

    You will love to serve roasted fennel with Roast Chicken, Chicken breast, Salmon or with grilled Branzino like we do in the south of France. Fennel is also perfect for BBQ season.

    Did you make this recipe?

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Suzanne says

      April 02, 2023 at 7:39 pm

      I have always wanted to know the best way to cook fennel….merci!

      Reply

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    Bonjour. If you are looking for French Recipes, made simple, you are in the right place! I translate the fancy cooking of my French Chef husband into easy-to-follow recipes that busy people with no culinary training, like me, can cook. From French Baguettes to French Riviera classic recipes, I invite you to learn French cooking with me.

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