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    Home » Sides

    Roasted Fennel

    Published: Nov 5, 2022 · by Nico Pallotta

    Jump to Recipe

    Here's a fork-tender and buttery roasted fennel recipe. If you've never had fennel like this, you are in for a treat!

    Once baked, the fennel sheds its licorice-like flavor and gains a creamy texture and caramelized taste that everyone will love. It's excellent as a starter or a tasty side dish.

    Roasted fennel and fork
    On this page:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Variation
    • Serving suggestions
    • Storage
    • More roasted veggies
    • More vegetable sides
    • Recipe

    Check out our best vegetable sides recipe collection!

    Fennel, the fresh vegetable, not the dry seeds, is an anise-flavored plant native to the Mediterranean with feathery leaves and is a member of the carrot family.

    Its sturdy and crunchy bulb-like stem can be eaten raw on its own (just like a carrot) or sliced into salads (like in our fennel and orange salad).

    However, few know that fennel is also delicious when cooked, especially when roasted in the oven with olive oil, salt, and black pepper.

    Oven roasting wonderfully transforms the flavor and texture of fennel into something completely different than when raw.

    Its natural sweetness is accentuated, and the fresh anise-licorice flavor of raw fennel is replaced by a buttery, warm, cozy, and absolutely divine taste. The crunchy texture turns tender and melts in your mouth.

    If you've never had roasted fennel before, you are in for a treat. And even people that usually struggle with fennel's peculiar flavor tend to fall in love with this roasted fennel recipe.

    Roasted fennel with parmesan cheese
    This is a variation of roasted fennel with parmesan.

    Ingredients

    Roasted fennel and parmesan
    Ingredients: fennel, olive oil, salt, black pepper, and optionally parmesan cheese or dairy-free cheese.

    Fennel

    Pick a couple of large, fresh, crunchy fennel bulbs.

    Olive oil

    Extra virgin olive oil is a beautiful flavor match with fennel; it adds a fruity flavor and helps the fennel cook evenly without burning.

    Salt and pepper

    Add a sprinkle of sea salt, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

    Parmesan

    Grated parmesan cheese is entirely optional, and the roasted fennel is delicious without it.

    If you are serving this recipe to people not used to eating veggies, then adding a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top can help!

    Add the parmesan after the fennel has already been roasted, then broil for a few minutes until the parmesan melts.

    For dairy-free, pick shredded dairy-free cheese.

    Instructions

    Preheat the oven to 400°F or 200°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

    Rinse the fennel, pat it dry, then cut off the fronds and set them aside for garnishing. Cut off and discard the top part of the stalks.

    Cut the fennel bulb in half, then slice it into wedges of about the same size.

    Tip: there's no need to remove the outer layers unless they are heavily bruised.

    slice the fennel

    Transfer the sliced fennel to the baking tray, season with olive oil, salt, black pepper, and toss it with your hands, and arrange it flat on a single layer.

    fennel on a baking tray

    Bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until very tender.

    Roasted fennel on a tray

    Arrange on a serving platter and sprinkle with finely chopped fennel fronds (or dill) and a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil.

    fennel served on white platter

    Variation

    Roasted fennel with parmesan

    Follow the same recipe as above, then when the fennel is cooked, take it out of the oven, sprinkle it with a generous amount of grated parmesan cheese (or dairy-free cheese), and put it back in the oven set to "broiler" function.

    Broil for 5 to 10 minutes until the parmesan melts, and the fennel is golden-brown.

    Roasted fennel with parmesan

    Serving suggestions

    Serve as a side dish with pasta:

    • 20-minute lemon pasta with spinach and Italian flavors.
    • Broccoli pasta with a velvety and creamy broccoli sauce.
    • Butternut squash pasta with ricotta and parmesan, a plant-based pasta favorite.
    • Lemon and ricotta pasta: easy weeknight and creamy dinner in 20 minutes!
    • Pasta al Limone with fresh thyme, ricotta, and walnuts.
    • Mushroom ragu ready in 30 minutes with a food processor.

    Serve as a starter or green side with your favorite protein. Some ideas are:

    • Mushroom tofu cutlets: a 25-minute main dish with plenty of chew and flavor!
    • Lemon tofu with a tasty lemon sauce, perfect with rice and a side of veggies.
    • Chickpea Frittata with roasted veggies, for a quick lunch, and dinner idea.
    • Marinated cubes of tofu: charred, chewy, and flavor-packed tofu.
    • tofu mushroom recipe
      Tofu Mushroom Recipe
    • marinated tofu on rice
      Marinated Tofu
    • Vegan frittata on a plate
      Vegan frittata - no eggs, no tofu
    • lemon tofu on a white plate
      Lemon Tofu

    Storage

    Refrigerator: Store this roasted fennel recipe in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Eat at room temperature, or reheat in the microwave.

    Freezer: we don't recommend freezing this recipe.

    More roasted veggies

    Looking for more roasted vegetables? Check out our blog post on how to roast vegetables, or pick one of the following:

    • 30-minute roasted broccoli with lemon and garlic vinaigrette
    • Italian roasted peppers with fresh herbs and easy tips to success
    • Easy roasted Brussels sprouts with a creamy mustard dressing
    • The best roasted potatoes: soft on the inside, crisp outside.
    • Roasted peppers in a bowl
      Roasted Peppers
    • Baked broccoli with lemon and garlic
      Roasted Broccoli
    • Roasted sprouts with lemon and dressing
      Roasted Brussels Sprouts
    • roasted potatoes and a silver spoon
      Roasted Potatoes

    More vegetable sides

    If you'd like a vegetable side dish but don't feel like turning on your oven, have a peek at these:

    • Braised artichokes "alla Romana": Italian flavor and tender artichoke hearts.
    • Slow-cooked red cabbage with apples is a perfect side for autumn and winter.
    • Fennel and orange salad: a crunchy, light, and tasty Sicilian-inspired side dish.
    • Green bean salad: a super tasty side dish of tender-crips green beans with feta and a creamy mustard dressing.
    • Green bean salad with sprinkled feta
      Green Bean Salad
    • Braised red cabbage with fresh apple
      Braised Red Cabbage
    • carciofi alla romana or roman style artichokes
      Carciofi alla Romana (Roman style artichokes)
    • Fennel salad in a bowl
      Fennel and Orange Salad

    For many more side dish ideas, check out our sides category page.

    Recipe

    Roasted fennel on white plate

    Roasted Fennel

    Author: Nico Pallotta
    Here's a fork-tender and buttery roasted fennel recipe. If you've never had fennel like this, you are in for a treat!
    Once baked, the fennel sheds its licorice-like flavor and gains a creamy texture and caramelized taste that everyone will love. It's excellent as a starter or a tasty side dish.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe
    5 from 2 votes
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 35 minutes mins
    Course Side dish, Starter
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 4 -6 people
    Calories 132 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 2 large fennels
    • 1½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    • 1½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • ½ cup parmesan grated, or dairy-free cheese (optional)
    Keep screen on

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 400°F or 200°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
      Rinse the fennel, pat it dry, then cut off the fronds and set them aside for garnishing. Cut off and discard the top part of the stalks.
      Cut the fennel bulb in half, then slice it into wedges of about the same size.
      Tip: there's no need to remove the outer layers unless they are heavily bruised.
      slice the fennel
    • Transfer the cut fennel to the tray, season with olive oil, salt, black pepper, and toss it with your hands, and arrange it flat on a single layer.
      fennel on a baking tray
    • Bake in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes or until very tender.
      Roasted fennel on a tray
    • Arrange on a serving platter and sprinkle with finely chopped fennel fronds (or dill) and a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil.
      fennel served on white platter

    VARIATION WITH PARMESAN

    • Follow the same recipe as above, then when the fennel is cooked, take it out of the oven, sprinkle it with a generous amount of grated parmesan cheese (or dairy-free cheese), and put it back in the oven set to "broiler" function.
      Broil for 5 to 10 minutes until the parmesan melts, and the fennel is golden-brown.
      Roasted fennel with parmesan

    Video Recipe

    Roasted Fennel | Tender & tasty vegetable side

    Notes

    Nutrition information is an estimate for one portion of roasted fennel out of four, including the cheese.

    Nutritional Values

    Nutrition Facts
    Roasted Fennel
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    132
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    9
    g
    14
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    3
    g
    19
    %
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    5
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    9
    mg
    3
    %
    Potassium
     
    498
    mg
    14
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    9
    g
    3
    %
    Dietary Fiber
     
    4
    g
    17
    %
    Sugar
     
    5
    g
    6
    %
    Protein
     
    6
    g
    12
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    255
    IU
    5
    %
    Vitamin B6
     
    0.1
    mg
    5
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    14
    mg
    17
    %
    Vitamin E
     
    1
    mg
    7
    %
    Vitamin K
     
    77
    µg
    73
    %
    Calcium
     
    206
    mg
    21
    %
    Folate
     
    32
    µg
    8
    %
    Iron
     
    1
    mg
    6
    %
    Manganese
     
    0.2
    mg
    10
    %
    Magnesium
     
    26
    mg
    7
    %
    Zinc
     
    1
    mg
    7
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Did you like this recipe?Leave us a comment below or find us on Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook.

    If you like the roasted fennel recipe, you might also like the following:

    • Vegetarian dinners
      45 Easy Vegetarian Dinner Recipes
    • Meatless meals for easy dinners
      40 Easy Meatless Meals
    • sweet potato recipes including mains and desserts
      25 Best Sweet Potato Recipes
    • 45 best salad recipes including green beans
      45 Best Salad Recipes
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    Nico and Louise founders of the Plant-Based School.

    Hi, we are Nico Pallotta and Louise Vestergaard, and we love cooking! Welcome to our blog.

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    Nico and Louise founders of the Plant-Based School.

    Hi, we are Nico Pallotta and Louise Vestergaard, and we love cooking! Welcome to our blog.

    Here we share veggie-packed recipes for the whole family.

    Omnivores, flexitarians, vegetarians, and vegans, you are ALL WELCOME!

    More about us →

    Trending

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