what food is fennel used in

1. Drinks. Fennel has been shown to aid in digestion. Muddle the fronds and mix with Campari, the bitter aperitif, and boom: a cocktail that will cure all stomach ills.
2. Risotto. Add sautéed fennel to a basic saffron risotto or one made with sausage.
3. Relish. Cook chopped fennel with pungent Mediterranean ingredients like olives and anchovies to make a delicious condiment for lamb. ...
4. Pasta salad. Shave fennel on a mandoline and toss with prosciutto and warm pasta for a simple salad.
5. Braised. Brown and then gently simmer wedges of fennel in an aromatic wine for a simple side dish to serve alongside fish or lamb.
Stuffing. Sauté diced fennel along with onions to add to stuffing, like this one made with focaccia.
Pizza. To really bring out fennel’s anise flavor, cook it in Pernod, then use it as a topping for pizza.
Soup. Add diced fennel to any gazpacho or seafood chowder recipe, or make a luscious egg-enriched fennel soup, like this avgolemono.
Tomato sauce. Add diced fennel to tomato sauce for pasta or for braising eggs—a dish known as shakshuka in the Middle East.
Gratin. Gently bake parboiled fennel with lots of cheese for a luscious side dish.
Cake. Carrots aren’t the only vegetable that taste good in dessert. Fennel adds a very grown-up flavor to this nutty cake.

Full Answer

What is the best way to eat fennel?

• Orecchiette with Caramelized Fennel and Spicy Sausage
• Fresh Fennel and Lemon Slaw
• Chicken Ragù with Bacon & Fennel
• Fennel, Beet, and Orange Salad
• Orange, Olive, and Fennel Salad
• Couscous With Chickpeas, Fennel, and Citrus
• Roasted Potatoes, Radishes & Fennel with Lemon Brown Butter Sauce
• Roasted Beet Soup with Fennel and Orange

What is fennel and how do you cook with it?

Fennel roots are tuberous and can be peeled, diced and used as carrots when cooked. They are white, so adding them to a soup you’d puree is a flavorful way to add some bulk to create a thicker soup.

How to prepare fennel to cook?

You've probably seen fennel at the grocery store—a big green vegetable with a white and light green bulb, celery-esque stems, and feathery fronds that look like dill. There are countless delicious ways to cook with fennel or enjoy it raw. Thinly slice it ...

What can I make with fennel?

Top 5 Ways to Use Fennel Stalks & Fronds

1. Add the Leafy Fronds to Salads: Strip the fronds from the stalks and toss them in your next green salad. ...
2. Make Fennel Pesto: As Sara Kate would be quick to point out, any green is pesto waiting to happen. ...
3. Use Stalks and Fronds for Cooking Fish: Fennel and fish have been best friends since the dawn of cooking. ...

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What food goes well with fennel?

Apples, beetroot, Brussels sprouts, celeriac, corn, cucumber, garlic, grape, grapefruit, green bean, guava, kohlrabi, lemon, mushroom, olive, orange, peach, pear, pomegranate, potatoes, tomatoes, watercress, watermelon.

What foods is fennel found in?

Pasta Dishes With FennelPasta Con le Sarde (Sicilian Pasta With Sardines)Spaghetti With Fennel Pollen, Orange, Garlic, and Mint.Sicilian Pasta With Swordfish, Fennel, Mint, and Bread Crumbs.Creamy Orecchiette With Spring Onions, Fennel, and Bacon.Slow-Cooker Pork Shoulder With Tomatoes, Fennel, and Pasta.More items...•

What is fennel commonly used in?

Fennel stalks can take the place of celery in soups and stews, and can be used as a "bed" for roasted chicken and meats. Use fennel fronds as a garnish, or chop them and use as you would other herbs, like dill or parsley. Oh, and one last thing—fennel and seafood go together like peas in a pod.

What dishes are fennel seeds used in?

Fennel seeds are used in European, Middle Eastern, Indian and Chinese cuisines. They are ground into spice mixtures and added to soups, sauces, fish dishes, lamb- or potato-based curries, pickles, condiments, breads, cakes, pancakes, desserts, confectionery and drinks.

What does fennel taste like?

Fennel has a very mild anise or licorice flavor that can be enhanced or sweetened depending on how it is cooked (or not cooked). When diced and sauteed with onions as one of the first steps when making a soup or stew, fennel becomes very sweet.

Does fennel taste like onion?

The fennel plant sort of resembles onions and other bulbs, but the taste is much closer to anise or licorice. Fennel tastes “anise-like” and is often described as a less intense licorice taste. After you cook a fennel bulb, it becomes even more mild.

Do you cook fennel for a salad?

You can eat it raw, roasted, or cooked in salads, stews, soups, and pasta dishes. In fact, fennel is often used as the base for flavorful broths that chefs use to braise fish and meats.

How do I eat fennel?

To use:Crush or grind whole fennels seeds just before you add them to your cooking or tea. ... Add toasted fennel seeds to dishes to give them a sweet, licorice flavor.Make a simple tea by crushing a spoonful of fennel seeds and pouring hot water over them.Add a tablespoon of the seeds to batter for baked goods.More items...•

What are the benefits of eating fennel?

What are the 5 top health benefits of fennel?May maintain a healthy heart. A good source of fibre as well as heart-friendly nutrients like potassium and folate, vegetables like fennel may support heart health. ... May support healthy skin. ... May be anti-inflammatory. ... May aid weight management. ... May improve the symptoms of anaemia.

What does fennel seeds do to the female body?

A review of 10 studies noted that fennel may improve sexual function and satisfaction in menopausal women, as well as relieve hot flashes, vaginal itching, dryness, pain during sex, and sleep disturbances ( 27 ).

Can you eat fennel raw?

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.

Are fennel seeds used in sausage?

Fennel seeds are also the primary flavoring for Italian sausage, and their flavor is most prominent when they're toasted or sautéed in oil. Caraway and fennel seeds can be used interchangeably, but the subtle flavor differences will be detectable.

What Is Fennel?

Fennel: A flowering plant species native to the Mediterranean that belongs to the same family as carrots. But what does that mean to you? Can you swap a carrot in when a recipe calls for fennel? Not exactly.

What Does Fennel Taste Like?

This bulb boasts a distinct and delicious flavor profile that sets it apart from the other vegetables in its family. Specifically, fennel is known for its anise flavor (despite being a totally different plant) but that doesn’t mean you have to like licorice in order to enjoy it.

How Is Fennel Used?

So, what can you do with fennel? Quite a lot, it turns out. Fans of the anise flavor can make use of the fronds by chopping them and adding them to pesto, salad dressing, pasta sauce and stock.

Benefits of Fennel

Fennel has plenty going for it besides being tasty. Here, a few more reasons why you should be a fan of this flavorful veggie.

How to Buy Fennel

Now that you’re eager to give this tasty veg a try, you might be wondering what to look for when selecting a fresh bulb at the store. For starters, steer clear of the really enormous suckers and stick with bulbs that are small to medium in size.

How to Grow Fennel

Fennel is very easy to grow, especially when planted by seed. In fact, fennel is quite an aggressive grower—so if you plant some seeds in the spring after the last frost, you’ll have an abundance of fennel ready to harvest in roughly 80 days.

How to Store Fennel

Despite its hardy appearance, fennel is actually fairly fragile and will quickly lose flavor when stored improperly. The best way to keep fennel fresh is to cut the stem off of the bulb and store the two pieces loosely in separate plastic bags in the fridge.

Whether you're using fennel bulbs, stalks or fronds, you'll love these fresh recipes that incorporate this sweet anise-tasting veggie into your meals

Whether you're using fennel bulbs, stalks or fronds, you'll love these fresh recipes that incorporate this sweet anise-tasting veggie into your meals.

Roasted Carrots & Fennel

This addictive fennel recipe is a fresh take on one of my mother's standard wintertime dishes. I usually add more carrots—as many as the pans will hold. —Lily Julow, Lawrenceville, Georgia

Pear 'n' Fennel Pork

Fresh fennel has a large bulbous base and pale green stems with wispy foliage. Often mislabeled as sweet anise, it has a sweeter and more delicate flavor than anise. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Fennel Carrot Soup

This soup is perfect as a first course for a special-occasion dinner. It gets its delicious flavor from toasted fennel seeds—a pleasant complement to the carrots, apple and sweet potato. —Marlene Bursey, Waverly, Nova Scotia

Warm Cabbage, Fennel and Pear Salad

This crunchy salad makes an elegant first course or side, but it's hearty enough to be an entree when paired with a crusty artisan bread. We love it served warm. —Grace Voltolina, Westport, Connecticut

Pasta with Creamy Fennel Sauce

When pureeing fennel one day, I realized its velvety texture would make for a creamy, delicious pasta sauce—without all the guilt. My experiment worked, and now I enjoy this good-for-you pasta sauce all the time. —Deb Schwab, Moraga, California

Dijon Pork Chops with Cabbage and Fennel

While living in Switzerland for a few years, my friends introduced me to an area renowned for their cabbage, pork and potato dishes. I decided to try a cabbage and fennel combination and believe they complement each other well. —Grace Voltolina, Westport, Connecticut

Overview

Fennel is a perennial, pleasant-smelling herb with yellow flowers. It is native to the Mediterranean, but is now found throughout the world. Dried fennel seeds are often used in cooking as an anise-like spice. Fennel's dried ripe seeds and oil are used to make medicine.

How does it work ?

Fennel might relax the colon. Fennel also appears to contain an ingredient that may act like estrogen in the body.

What Is Fennel?

Fennel is a celery-like winter vegetable with an interesting licorice-like flavor. Although the taste may take some getting used to at first, fennel provides an enormous amount of health benefits.

Nutrition Facts

One average-size fennel bulb contains 73 calories, 3 grams of protein, and 17 grams of carbohydrate. It contains only trace amounts of fat and no cholesterol.

Top 11 Fennel Benefits

Due to the calcium content, fennel can help maintain bone strength and health. One cup of fennel contains about 43 milligrams of calcium, which can be helpful for those who don’t consume enough foods high in calcium and may have a calcium deficiency .

Uses in Traditional Medicine

Fennel has been used in many cultures for its medicinal properties. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is used to help with a variety of ailments from congestion to helping increase the flow of breast milk. It can also help with stomach upset, insect bites, or to soothe a sore throat.

Fennel vs. Anise vs. Licorice

Fennel is a plant in the carrot and celery family. It tastes similar to anise and is also highly aromatic.

How to Choose and Prepare

Fennel has a crunchy texture and a flavor similar to licorice or anise. It is a great addition to any winter dish to provide a unique, slightly sweet and warming flavor.

Risks and Side Effects

Although for most people fennel is a great, healthy vegetable choice, people with certain medical conditions may have to limit or avoid the consumption of fennel. Some people may be allergic to certain spices, therefore should avoid consuming fennel seeds.

Buying Fennel

When selecting your fennel bulb be aware of the distinction of the gender forms depending on your recipe. The rounder, squatter male bulb is ideal for using raw, whilst the longer, flatter female bulb is preferable cooked.

How to cut a fennel bulb?

Fennel is a simple and robust vegetable to work with that holds it's shape whether slicing it thinly on a mandolin or deploying your knife skills. It can also simply be cut into wedges or quarters after removing the stem, depending on your chosen use.

What to do with Fennel?

Fennel can be eaten raw, cut into sticks or wedges and dipped into sauces or olive oil as an appetiser.

How to Cook Fennel?

Cooking fennel mellows out the flavours and texture. Boiled, steamed, braised or roasted fennel takes on a whole new irresistible succulence and depth of flavour.

Simple Recipes with Fennel

Find a selection of delicious recipes for both raw and cooked fennel below: from refreshing vegetarian salads to pairings with seafood and meat.

Health Benefits

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.

Nutrition

Despite the sweet taste, fennel contains no sugars—making it a good way to add sweetness to meals without spiking your blood sugar.

How to Prepare Fennel

The bulb is the tastiest part of this root vegetable. To prepare fennel, slice the bulb into strips. You can cook fennel the same way you would cook other root vegetables, such as carrots—by roasting, baking, sautéing, or grilling it.