Green Bean, Mushroom and Fennel Salad
Photography by Yvonne Duivenvoorden
Unfamiliar with fennel?
Fennel plants produce both bulbs and seeds. Fennel bulbs have white flesh, green stalks and dill-like leaves, while fennel seeds, with its minty flavour, are used mostly as a spice from dried seeds of the fennel plant.
If you plan to prepare recipes with fennel, "start small," Test Kitchen food specialist Amanda Barnier says. "Sneak small amounts into soups, stews and salads."
"Fennel is so versatile, and is great raw or cooked," she adds.
How to cook with fennel
"Fennel can be boiled, braised, sauteed, grilled, roasted, steamed or eaten raw," Amanda says.
"Fennel is great combined with garlic + tomatoes + onion, asparagus, apples + arugula + blue cheeses, watercress + pears, pasta, fish, seafood, lamb, and potatoes."
Used often in Italian cooking, Amanda adds, "it's also great thrown into tomato sauces, over pizza, and baked into Focaccia bread."
Preparing raw fennel for salads
Fennel's anise-like sweetness makes it a wonderful addition to salads.
"Cut off the stalks close to the bulb," she says, "to slice fennel for a salad. Just cut across the bulb, as thick or thin as you like."
How to store fennel
"Wrap tightly in a plastic bag," Amanda says, "and refrigerate for up to one week."
Make fennel a part of your next meal with one of these fabulous fennel recipes:
Green Bean, Mushroom and Fennel SaladThis healthy lemon juice and olive oil dressed salad is an easy, delicious starter - and a cinch to make!
Apple Fennel Celery SaladFennel is edible all the way from its green stems to the pale white bulb; using the whole vegetable is not only practical, but also adds a variety of pretty colours on your plate.
Roasted Squash, Onion and Fennel Toss
This medley of roasted vegetables is easy to make and packed with flavour. Best of all - it's a light dish.
Page 1 of 2 - Find more fennel recipes on page 2.
