How to Eat Fennel, From the Bulb to the Fronds

If you're unfamiliar with how to eat fennel, then dismantling and preparing this parsley relation can be daunting, perhaps prompting a case of, well, vegetable anxiety. With its heavy-bottomed white bulb and fringey green fronds, fennel may be one of the most interesting vegetables to cross your plate; it's helpful to know what to do with it and how to maximize its signature anise flavor for stellar sides, salads, and mains. We connected with a farmer and culinary experts to learn more about fennel's versatility, seasonality, and the best ways to savor it.

What Is Fennel?

Fennel (botanical name Foeniculum vulgare Mill) is a large flowering perennial that's used for culinary and medicinal purposes. As a member of the carrot (Apiaceae) family, it counts caraway, celeriac, celery, chervil, cilantro, cumin, dill, lovage, Queen Anne's Lace, parsley, and parsnip, among its many relations. Indigenous to the southern Mediterranean region (and prominent in Italian and Greek cuisines) it's cultivated in temperate areas worldwide and also grows wild.

Look: Fennel has a wide white base with compact layers, green stalks, and fronds; large bulbs weigh up to 1 pound. "The entire plant is edible, except for the core," says Victoria Jabot, a grower and owner of Ley Creek Farm, a regenerative, no-till farm in Oswego County, NY. In addition to bulb fennel, she says, you may also encounter non-bulbing, or leaf fennel, at the farmers market.

Flavor: "Fennel is well known for its aniseed or licorice flavors, yet this comes in a beautiful range, depending on which part of the vegetable you use or whether it's raw or cooked," says Yasmin Newman, author of Eat NYC and ​​head of culinary at Marley Spoon.

Don't Forget the Fronds: Beyond the bulb, those feathery fronds also impart a sweet taste, says Riley Davis, produce category manager at Misfits Market. "They might look like dill but have a licorice, anise-like flavor—very similar to the flavor of the fennel bulb itself,” she says.

When Is Fennel In Season?

Fennel is generally considered a fall/winter crop that is harvested in October and available through early spring. (Some farmers plant a second crop in the fall which results in fresh spring fennel.)

How to Prep Fennel

Whether you plan to use it raw or cook it, fennel must first be trimmed and cored. Using a cutting board and sharp chef's knife, here's how to go about it:

1. Prep: Wash and cut the stalks and fronds from the top of the bulb; reserve both. Remove the tough outer layers and the very bottom of the bulb.
2. Halve: Cut the bulb in half lengthwise.
3. Cut the core: With the tip of the knife, cut along both sides of the tough triangular core in the center of each half, then remove and discard it.
4. Slice: Cut the fennel crosswise or lengthwise, depending on your recipe. 

How to Eat Fennel

Different preparations impact the flavor of fennel: "When fresh and thinly sliced, it's light yet sharp; diced and sauteed or braised, it becomes sweeter and milder," explains Newman. Fennel can be sauteed, roasted, or cooked in a stew or sauce. Here's how to enjoy it, from tip to bottom. 

Using Fennel Bulb

• Starters: Thinly sliced fennel is a popular palate cleanser or appetizer, says Jabot. Use it in your crudités or on its own as a scoop for a favorite dip. Serve it as hors d'oeuvres topped with smidgeons of Parmigiano Reggiano and a drizzle of olive oil. Jabot uses a mandolin to achieve thin-slice perfection, then soaks the bulb slices briefly in ice water before serving. 
• Salads: The refreshing crunch and aromatic flavor of fennel is a star in many salads, added to a mix of leafy greens or more of a crunchy slaw approach. Fennel and orange is a simple yet classic combination. Fennel is also a welcome addition to grain salads, where both its flavor and crunch stand out.

• Sides: Cut into wedges or slices, it shows its versatile nature as a side, whether roasted. braised, or sauteed.
• Pasta: Fennel also has an affinity for tomato, maybe that's why it so often appears in pasta sauces like this quick meaty ragu. It also stars in pasta sans tomatoes—try caramelizing it and pairing it with sardines over penne.
• Fish: "Fennel bulb is a delicate ingredient once cooked, so it's best paired with lighter proteins like seafood or white beans," Jabot says. She likes to incorporate it into a traditional bouillabaisse. "I use the diced fennel stalks to replace celery in the mirepoix and garnish with fronds." For a streamlined approach, try this one-pot fish, fennel, and tomato braise.
  
• Chicken: Fennel wedges and artichokes infuse a one-pot chicken fricassee with unforgettable flavor. Also be sure to try roasting fennel wedges alongside chicken pieces in a sheet-pan meal.
• Relishes: Use fennel chopped with briny olives for a relish to serve alongside chicken or salmon.

Using Fennel Fronds

If you want fennel specifically for its fronds, know that non-bulbing fennel typically has more flavorful fronds, says Jabot. It also has more fronds—but you can easily substitute the fronds on a regular fennel bulb.

• Garnishes and dressings: Davis suggests using delicate fronds to top soups, salads, roasted vegetables, and cooked meats or in pestos and vinaigrettes.
• Pastas: Jabot recommends blanching the fronds and sauteing them with pancetta and olive oil, then pairing this with a hearty pasta like cavatelli.

Using Fennel Seeds

Fennel seeds lend a licorice kick to spice rubs and pickled vegetables. "Fennel seeds from non-bulbing types are traditionally paired with pork," says Jabot. She adds them to Italian sausage. Newman incorporates toasted and crushed fennel seeds into the panko breadcrumb coating of the Italian-American classic, veal parm, featured in her book. "It adds a beautiful, warm, and mature undertone to the dish," she says, noting that its strong flavor holds up well against the blanket of tomato sauce and cheese.

Fennel for Digestion

In many cultures it's common to eat a small piece of fennel or fennel seeds following a meal to aid in digestion. Rich in the antioxidant vitamin C, fennel has anti-inflammatory properties and is a common aid in treating bloating.