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Here are all the best fennel recipes to make the most of this star ingredient: fresh and dried! Salads, soups and more are all better fennel.

Fennel recipes
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Got fennel? This unique ingredient is an incredible treat in the kitchen. Fennel is a vegetable that’s a member of the carrot family, but it looks more like a cross between an onion, celery and dill! It has a large root, stalks, and leafy fronds at the top. Fresh fennel has a black licorice or anise flavor. But you can also cook with the dried fennel seeds: they’re fantastic for adding savory, hearty flavor.

Here are all the best fennel recipes to make with fresh fennel or the dried seeds! Try stunning and refreshing fennel salad, or sweet and caramelized roasted fennel. Or use the seeds to add hearty and savory flavor to pasta sauces and pizza toppings. We’re getting hungry so…let’s get cooking!

Our top fennel recipes

How to cut fennel

Using fresh fennel in these recipes? You’ll need to learn how to cut this unique veggie. It’s not hard at all, once you’ve tried it once! Here’s our master method for how to cut fennel:

  1. Cut off the stalks and root: Using a large chef’s knife, cut off the fennel stalks. Then cut off the root end.
  2. Cut the bulb: Remove any tough outer layers of the fennel bulb and discard them. Slice down the center of the fennel bulb.
  3. To slice: Place the fennel on its cut side and cut thin half-moon slices parallel to the root end using a circular motion. OR…
  4. To dice: Cut slices parallel to the root end, leaving room at the end so that the slices stay attached. Then rotate the fennel and cut slices in the other direction, following the curve of the fennel. When you get halfway through, flip the fennel onto its flat cut side and continue slicing.
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Fennel Salad (& More Recipes!)

Fennel orange salad
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Here’s a refreshing and easy side dish: fennel orange salad! It pairs juicy orange and the subtle licorice essence of fennel with a citrus vinaigrette.

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Raw
  • Cuisine: Salad
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 recipe Citrus Vinaigrette
  • 1 fennel bulb
  • 1 large shallot
  • 2 small oranges: blood orange or Cara Cara
  • 2 tablespoons chopped pistachios
  • 5 ounces baby mixed greens (about 5 cups)*

Instructions

  1. Make the Citrus Vinaigrette.
  2. Thinly slice the fennel and the shallot. If desired, save a few fennel fronds (the feathery green parts on top of the stalk) for a garnish.
  3. Cut oranges into sections or “supremes” following How to Cut an Orange.
  4. To serve, place the greens on a plate. Top with oranges, fennel, shallot, and chopped pistachios (and fennel fronds if desired). Drizzle with dressing and serve.

Notes

*Use whatever type you’d like! It’s nice to use a mixture of greens to vary texture and flavor. If you’re using baby kale, arugula or spinach, make sure they’re mixed with some other milder greens. Mixed lettuces are also nice, as they add a refreshing crunch.

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About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of the acclaimed cookbooks A Couple Cooks and Pretty Simple Cooking—and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share seasonal recipes and the joy of home cooking. Now, we’ve got over 3,000 well-tested recipes, including Mediterranean diet, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, smoothies, cocktails, and more!

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2 Comments

  1. Monica Teesdale says:

    Hi! A neighbor gave me a fennel bulb as she was going out of town. Googled to find some recipes and your wonderful site came up. The Tuscan/white bean soup, Shepherds’ Pie and the Fennel orange salad look amazing. Thank you for your delicious looking recipes. Can’t wait to try them. Will keep you posted!
    I know this section is for recipe reviews but I just had to tell you how yummy your recipes look.

    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      Thank you!