18 Fabulous Fennel Recipes

Updated: Feb. 27, 2024

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.

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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Sunday Roast Chicken

This recipe proves that comfort food doesn't have to be full of unwanted calories. Mixed with orange and lemon juice, my roast chicken is both flavorful and healthy. —Robin Haas, Cranston, Rhode Island.
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Citrus Fennel Salad

I guarantee guests will love the taste of this unique salad. The pleasant orange flavor pairs well with tender pieces of fennel. —Marion Karlin, Waterloo, Iowa
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White Bean Fennel Soup

This filling soup is a favorite with our family and is often requested for company dinners. A hint of fennel accents the flavor of this quick-to-fix bean soup, while spinach and tomatoes add color. —Donna Quinn, Round Lake Beach, Illinois
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Company Turkey Potpie

Here's our smart spin on potpie, filled with turkey, autumn vegetables and a creamy herb sauce. Best of all, there's no crust to make—just top with prepared phyllo dough. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Cranberry Cornmeal Dressing

This moist dressing is perfect when paired with poultry or even pork. The sweet-tart flavor of the dried cranberries really complements the dish's turkey sausage. —Corinne Portteus, Albuquerque, New Mexico
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Fennel Salad with Citrus Dressing

My family really enjoys crunchy fennel, which pairs well with citrus vinaigrette. The salad makes a nice addition to any meal.—Denise Elder, Hanover, Ontario
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Roasted Fennel and Peppers

Fennel makes for a tasty change of pace in this versatile side that goes nicely with grilled meats. Best of all, it's full of flavor and easy to do—and it doesn't seem light at all! —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Italian Chicken Soup

This satisfying soup gets its Italian flair from fennel, thyme, basil and orzo pasta. If you don't start with a low-sodium or sodium-free stock, you might want to decrease the amount of salt called for in the recipe. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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Winter Beet Salad

To save a little time on this sweet and savory beet salad, we recommend using packaged salad greens in this original recipe. The simple dressing is easy to assemble. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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Fennel-Jicama Salad

This crunchy jicama salad contains no mayonnaise, making it a great dish to pass. Mint adds a refreshing flavor, but can be omitted if you don't have it on hand.—Stephanie Matthews, Tempe, Arizona
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Shaved Fennel Salad

This salad tastes even more impressive than it looks. It has an incredible crunch thanks to the cucumbers, radishes and apples. And the finish of fennel fronds adds just the faintest hint of licorice flavor. —William Milton III, Clemson, South Carolina
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Honey-Roasted Chicken & Root Vegetables

When my whole family comes over for dinner, I make a big platter of roast chicken with sweet potatoes, carrots and fennel. My dad leads the fan club. —Kelly Ferguson, Conshohocken, Pennsylvania