Does this white bulb with feathery fronds and stalks leave you scratching your head when you open your CSA share? Fennel is a surprisingly versatile vegetable! While not common in many American kitchens it adds a lot flavor to salads, soups, stews, and much more. Fennel is actually a part of the carrot family, and often considered an herb. Raw fennel has a flavor similar to anise or licorice, use the feathery fronds as a garnish for any dish containing fennel. The stalks are generally a little stringy, but can be saved and added to stocks for extra flavor. To prep fennel, remove the very bottom of the bulb, then the fronds and stalks. Slice in half, then thinly slice, shave, shred, or dice as desired.
- Salad – add thinly sliced fennel to any salad, or dice and add to grain salads. Try Fennel Farro Salad or Fennel & Dill Salad.
- Roasted – Toss diced fennel with your next batch of roasted root vegetables or just lay fennel slices in a pan and roast with sausage links over it. Try this Roasted Fennel with Sausage.
- Soup – Fennel makes a flavorful addition to any soup – just add diced fennel in with the onions and garlic. Try our Creamy Beet Fennel Soup – the color is gorgeous.
- Caramelize – Make caramelized fennel just like you would caramelized onions. Try swapping fennel for onions in this oven-roasted variation here. Add to pizza, sandwiches, salads, and flatbreads.
- Pizza – Try our new favorite pizza – Spicy Fennel & Radicchio Pizza. This is a great dish for anyone new to fennel – it really mellows the fennel!
- Braised – Simmer fennel with a little liquid, veggies, bacon, beans, etc. Toss with pasta or serve with greens. Try Braised Fennel with Artichokes & Heirloom Lima Beans & Braised Fennel Pasta.
- Slaw – Use the slicing blade of food processor to shave fennel super-thin and then add to any slaw. We like Fennel Pepper Slaw with Buttermilk Dressing or Lemon Fennel Slaw.
- Marinara – Add flavor and dimension to marinara sauce. Fennel is great in a meat or tomato sauce. Try our Simple Marinara Sauce.
