14 Vegan Fennel Recipes To Try! (2024)

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Are you wondering what to make with a bulb of fennel? This collection of vegan fennel recipes will inspire you with delicious ways to use this unique vegetable.

14 Vegan Fennel Recipes To Try! (1)

Table of Contents
  • Main dishes with fennel
  • Simple Fennel Pasta
  • Butternut squash wild rice salad with cranberries and fennel
  • Roasted Fennel and Potato Soup
  • Spinach and Fennel Fettuccine with Roasted Tomatoes
  • Vegan Italian Wedding Soup
  • Caramelised Fennel Risotto with Herby Garlic Cashews
  • Vegan Caramelized Onion and Fennel Pizza
  • Summer Dal with Fennel, Coconut + Dill
  • Fennel side dishes
  • Potato Fennel Gratin
  • Blood Orange and Fennel Salad
  • Beet and Fennel Salad with Citrus Dressing
  • Grilled Fennel with Tahini Dressing
  • Roasted Fennel With Tomatoes
  • Super Cleansing Slaw with Rosemary Dressing
  • More ideas for fennel
  • Fennel FAQs

Fennel is an underrated vegetable. It has an incredibly unique anise taste and if you haven't tried it before we heartily encourage you to try it!

We've seen countless people asking "What can I make with fennel?" after they've received bulbs in their vegetable box. This post is here to give you answers!

From salads to slaws, easy pasta and rice dishes and roasted vegetable sides, there are some delicious ways to eat and enjoy fennel!

Come and discover some new recipes to try in this collection of refreshing vegan fennel recipes...

Main dishes with fennel

Fennel, also known as Florence fennel or bulb fennel, is a popular ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine.

You'll find fennel goes great with Italian inspired dishes like pasta, pizza and risotto. But it's also a great ingredient to add to cosy meals like soup and stew.

14 Vegan Fennel Recipes To Try! (2)

Simple Fennel Pasta

If you are looking for a really easy fennel recipe, this is it! This simple pasta dish celebrates fennel and combines it with the tang of lemon to make a refreshing and nourishing meal.

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14 Vegan Fennel Recipes To Try! (3)

Butternut squash wild rice salad with cranberries and fennel

by carolinescooking.com

This colourful salad combines a base of wild rice with roasted butternut squash, fresh fennel and cranberries to make a flavourful and nutritious meal.

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14 Vegan Fennel Recipes To Try! (4)

Roasted Fennel and Potato Soup

by simple-veganista.com

Fennel goes great with potatoes and makes a wonderfully creamy soup. Try this fennel soup with just 7 simple ingredients.

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14 Vegan Fennel Recipes To Try! (6)

Vegan Italian Wedding Soup

by connoisseurusveg.com

Fennel is called finocchio in Italy, where it is a popular ingredient in traditional cooking. This recipe uses cannellini bean meatballs, spinach, fennel, and orzo to make cozy vegan Italian wedding soup.

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14 Vegan Fennel Recipes To Try! (7)

Caramelised Fennel Risotto with Herby Garlic Cashews

Our vegan fennel risotto is one of our go to meals! We use a touch of brown sugar to quickly bring out the sweetness of fennel. The garlic cashew topping is perfection!

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14 Vegan Fennel Recipes To Try! (8)

Vegan Caramelized Onion and Fennel Pizza

by veryveganval.com

This delicious vegan pizza is topped with fennel, caramelized onions, herbed mushrooms and vegan cashew cheese. YUM!

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14 Vegan Fennel Recipes To Try! (9)

Summer Dal with Fennel, Coconut + Dill

by gutsyperformancenutrition.com

This lentil dal with fennel is designed for the summer - with refreshing ingredients to cool you down on a hot day.

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Fennel side dishes

Both raw and roasted or grilled fennel makes a refreshing addition to salads and side dishes. When serving fennel raw in salads or slaws, it's particularly nice finely sliced or cut with a mandoline.

Salads and sides can be a great way to experiment with using different combinations of seasonal veggies and fruits! Be sure to use our guide to What Goes Well With Fennel to inspire you.

14 Vegan Fennel Recipes To Try! (10)

Potato Fennel Gratin

by shelovesbiscotti.com

For a delicious fennel side dish, try this potato fennel gratin. It's garnished with breadcrumbs for a delicious crispy topping.

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14 Vegan Fennel Recipes To Try! (11)

Blood Orange and Fennel Salad

by twocityvegans.com

Blood orange and fennel is a classic combination! This recipe combines them with olives, radish and walnut to make a delicious seasonal salad.

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14 Vegan Fennel Recipes To Try! (12)

Beet and Fennel Salad with Citrus Dressing

by itsavegworldafterall.com

Another recipe that uses the combination of citrus and fennel to its advantage is this roasted beet and fennel salad. Fresh herbs and pistachios take it to the next level!

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14 Vegan Fennel Recipes To Try! (13)

Grilled Fennel with Tahini Dressing

by ketovegetarianrecipes.com

This quick fennel side dish is simple to make. Enjoy the delicate flavour of grilled fennel with a yummy tahini dressing.

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14 Vegan Fennel Recipes To Try! (14)

Roasted Fennel With Tomatoes

by swirlsofflavor.com

Another easy side dish is this roasted fennel pomodoro. Tender and juicy tomatoes mingle with the sweet licorice tang of roasted fennel.

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14 Vegan Fennel Recipes To Try! (15)

Super Cleansing Slaw with Rosemary Dressing

by minimalistbaker.com

This fresh and invigorating recipe uses cabbage, fennel, apple and celery to make a delicious slaw. Easy to customise with other seasonal veg!

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More ideas for fennel

Still looking for more vegan fennel recipes or ideas? Here are some more ways we love to cook with fennel, and main dishes that go great with fennel sides:

  • For wild fennel, or if you have lots of leftover fronds, try our Wild Fennel Pasta with Vegan Chorizo.
  • To go with an orange and fennel salad, try our Vegan Tofu Souvlaki Skewers for a delcious Meditterranean inspired meal.
  • For a main to go with fennel based slaw, make our deliciously crispy Breaded Tofu.
  • For more tips and inspiration read our Fennel Flavour Pairing Guide.

Fennel FAQs

When is fennel in season?

Fennel can be bought year round, but peak season in the UK is from late June to September. In the US, peak fennel time is in the colder months from winter through early spring, but this varies across the country.

What does fennel taste like?

Fennel is a Mediterranean vegetable with a refreshing aniseed flavour. It can be eaten raw or cooked. The strong licorice flavour becomes milder when it’s cooked. It can be an acquired taste, but we love it!

How do I choose a fennel bulb?

Choose fresh-looking (not dried out), heavy and firm bulbs. The fronds should be green and not yellowing. Younger and smaller bulbs are often more tender and less stringy.

Which parts of the fennel bulb are edible?

All of the fennel bulb is edible.

In some older bulbs the stalks or the outer layer can be a bit too tough and stringy to be pleasant, so you may like to remove this depending on the bulb you have.

The bulb also has a conical core which can get tough. If you want to remove this, cut the bulb into quarters and then slice out the core.

The green, feathery tops can be used raw as a refreshing garnish.

We hope you enjoyed this collection of fennel recipes! Be sure to check out guides to what else is in season now.

Tell us your favourite vegan fennel recipes and share your ideas in the comments below.

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14 Vegan Fennel Recipes To Try! (2024)

FAQs

Why do chefs use fennel so much? ›

Fennel is used as an ingredient in recipes and on its own as a side dish to complement a rich entrée. The vegetable has a mild licorice flavor and can be thinly sliced and eaten raw or cooked.

How much of the fennel plant can you eat? ›

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.

Why do you soak fennel? ›

Detoxification: Fennel seeds have diuretic qualities, which may be partially extracted into the water by soaking them in water overnight. By encouraging urine production and waste product elimination, this may help the body's natural detoxification procedures.

Is fennel better for you raw or cooked? ›

Rich in vitamins and minerals fennel is particularly well known for its digestive properties (especially when eaten raw at the end of a meal) and for its liver and blood purifying properties.

Can too much fennel be harmful? ›

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.

Is it OK to eat fennel everyday? ›

Fennel seeds are rich in fibre and may aid in weight loss and keep hunger pangs at bay. They work as diuretics and improve metabolism. Consuming fennel seeds daily with a balanced diet and workout helps you to shed extra pounds quickly.

Is it safe to eat raw fennel bulb? ›

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.

Can you eat too much fennel bulb? ›

Although fennel eaten in normal amounts is generally safe, some people may need to be cautious about how much they consume. One study showed that breastfeeding mothers who drank two or more liters of fennel tea each day reported signs of pain in their infants.

How often should you eat fennel? ›

Fennel Seeds Seeds - ¼ to ½ teaspoon twice a day.

Who should not take fennel? ›

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.

What part of fennel can you not 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.

What does fennel do for a woman's body? ›

A review of 10 studies reported that supplementing with fennel extract may relieve hot flashes, vagin*l dryness and sleep disturbances in menopausal women. However, it should be noted that the studies involved small sample sizes and did not account for other factors such as physical activity and nutrition.

Why do Italians love fennel? ›

For example, Italians often eat fennel raw at the end of a meal, saying it helps with digestion and cleansing. If you do a quick search, you'll find that Fennel Bulbs are an impressive source of dietary fiber, which we all know is amazing for digestion and gut health!

Does fennel make you gassy? ›

In general, no, it does not. Fennel is a carminative herb, which means it promotes digestion. It is an ingredient in “gripe water” which is used to treat colic, gas and constipation in infants. Fennel tea and fennel seeds are used as laxatives for adults.

Does fennel cleanse the liver? ›

Fennel has a long list of benefits far beyond just aiding the liver. With a delicious anise-like flavor, fennel is easy to incorporate into teas and salads to help increase urine flow and protect the liver from alcohol damage. A potent blood cleanser, fennel may also improve kidney function and prevent kidney stones.

Why is fennel so popular? ›

Fennel is widely cultivated, both in its native range and elsewhere, for its edible, strongly flavored leaves and fruits. Its aniseed or liquorice flavor comes from anethole, an aromatic compound also found in anise and star anise, and its taste and aroma are similar to theirs, though usually not as strong.

Why do people eat fennel after a meal? ›

Like many vegetables, fennel is a low-calorie food rich in nutrients. Here are just a few of the many benefits of adding fennel to your diet. In many parts of the world, it's common to eat a little bit of fennel after a meal to aid with digestion and relieve gassiness.

Why is fennel so important? ›

Fennel contains beta-carotene (which is converted to vitamin A in the body) and vitamin C, a nutrient important for collagen production and tissue repair. Both these nutrients play an important role in maintaining the health of the skin, as well as the mucous membranes that protect organs like the respiratory tract.

What country uses fennel the most? ›

India leads the world in fennel cultivation, though those varieties are mainly grown for fennel seeds, which are used as a spice. Most U.S.-grown Florence fennel comes from California and Arizona, although it is considered a minor crop here in the U.S.

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