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Caramelized Fennel and Onions – A Slow, Easy Mediterranean Side

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Did you know you could caramelize a fennel bulb with onions and have it turn out to be one of the most amazing dishes you’ve ever tasted? I didn’t know cooking fennel slowly with onions would magically transform the white bulb from ordinary to extraordinary.  

Caramelized fennel and onion is an easy and incredibly delicious Mediterranean vegetable side.
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An unexpected find 

We were at the farmer’s market going up and down the aisles when I spotted an overflowing bin of fresh fennel bulbs.

I turned to Honey and said, “Look at those bulbs, can you imagine how one of those delicious babies would taste in our orange salad? Let’s buy one!”

“You sure, Babe? Look at this cart; it’s loaded with vegetables and fruit. Will you be able to use it before it spoils?” 

Caramelized fennel bulb and onion ingredients for an easy Mediterranean side.

“Absolutely!” My mind kept churning out potential recipes.  “Instead, I might use it in a quinoa salad.” I’m so excited, fresh vegetables and fruit do that to me. 🙂 

How you select fennel bulbs:

  • bulbs are clean, firm, solid, without signs of splitting, bruising or spotting.
  • bulbs are whitish or pale green in color.
  • stalks are fairly straight and close around the bulbs.
  •  both the stalks and leaves are green in color.
  • there are no signs of flowering buds, flowering means they’re past maturity.
  • they have a fragrant aroma, smelling subtly of licorice or anise. 

How to store fennel

As soon as we get back to the house, I put the bulb we selected into the refrigerator crisper. It will stay fresh for about four days. 

The factors that affect the fennel’s freshness and nutrient composition:

  •  air.
  •  light.
  •  heat.
  •  the length of time in storage.
Caramelized fennel and onion is an easy Mediterranean vegetable side.

My prize is in the fridge and I can’t wait to use it.

Six days later – Fennel is still good!

It’s mid-afternoon and we’re planning our dinner. Honey is getting the chicken thighs ready for the grill when he asks, “Whatever happened to the fennel?”

“Uhhhhhh . . . I’m making it tonight.” I hurry to the fridge and dig the fennel out of the vegetable drawer. It doesn’t look quite as “fresh” as it did six days ago. Nevertheless,  I’m determined to prepare the vegetable.

I  stare at the bulb for a minute, hoping it’ll tell me what it wants to become. Normally I roast fennel with meat or use it in salads. How do you make it? 

I remember seeing a recipe once in one of my cookbooks for cooked fennel but I don’t remember which one. Hopefully, Mr. Google can point me in the right direction.

Caramelized fennel bulb and onion is an easy Mediterranean side that compliments any meat and can also a crostini topper.

And there it was! A recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi, it’s in a cookbook I have, Plenty.  

Caramelize fennel and onion — slow and easy 

The original recipe has a few ingredients I don’t have, but I’m going to use his recipe as a springboard.

Do you do that with original recipes?  I use onions, Parmesan cheese, fresh lemon and Italian parsley along with the bulb.

Now, all it takes is a little bit of time to get that wonderful caramelization of the veggies. Believe me, the time it takes to make this dish is well worth the minutes.

Let us know how you like it. 

Here are more vegetable dishes you may enjoy…

Lemon Garlic Roasted Mushrooms

Tuscan Kale with Mushrooms and Garlic

Baby Arugula Tossed With Roasted Mushrooms and Leeks

Lemon Garlic Asparagus with Parmesan

Vegetables can be as exciting as the main dish. Try these recipes and see.

Tutti a tavola è pronto!

Un caro saluto e alla prossima. 

YOU MAY NEED…

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This is the gratin dish that we’re crazy about! It not only looks pretty but it is fantastic for baking and then serving. Once you start using it you wonder what you did without it! 

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Caramelized Fennel Bulb and Onions is an easy and incredibly delicious Mediterranean vegetable side that compliments any meat and can also be used as a crostini topping.

Mediterranean Caramelized Fennel And Onions Recipe

Caramelized fennel and onion is an easy and incredibly delicious Mediterranean vegetable side.

Caramelized Fennel and Onions – A Slow, Easy Mediterranean Side

Sliced Fennel and onions are sautéed first then slowly cooked until they are caramelized to a toasty brown, finished with Parmesan, lemon, and Italian parsley.
5 from 15 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer, side, Vegetables
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: company side, condiment
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 2
Calories: 256kcal
Author: Marisa Franca @ All Our Way
As An Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients

  • 1 large fennel bulb sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
  • 1 large onion cut in 1/4 inch thick slices (halved then sliced lengthwise from root to tip)
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • Basil leaves rolled and sliced for top optional

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil and butter in a large, uncovered, heavy pan on medium high heat. Add the sliced fennel and onions and stir to coat. Stir occasionally, after 10 minutes sprinkle the vegetables with salt. Lower the temperature to medium. You want the pan hot enough to get the caramelization going but not so much that the fennel and onions dry out. If that does happen, add a tablespoon or two of water.
  • Stir occasionally, scraping up any bits that are on the bottom. The brown bits are the ones with the most flavor. Cook for another 30 minutes or up to an hour, depending on how impatient you are. The longer it cooks the more caramelized the onions and fennel become. Taste test along the way. The dish will have a lot of flavor and doesn’t have to be cooked down all the way.
  • When ready to serve, remove the pan from the heat, add in the grated Parmesan cheese, the chopped parsley, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
  • Sprinkle with slivered basil leaves, if desired.
  • This is excellent served with chicken, seafood, or on crostini. I can’t think of anything that I wouldn’t serve with it.

Notes

Inspired by Yotam Ottolenghi’s Caramelized Fennel with Goat’s Curd and Simply Recipe’s Caramelized Fennel and Onions

Nutrition

Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 190mg | Potassium: 564mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 545IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 125mg | Iron: 1.1mg

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Comments

  1. Natalie says

    5 stars
    Caramelized onions are so good. My whole family loves it. But I never imagine adding fennel. I bet it add such a flavor punch. I must make this asap. Looks so delicious.

    Reply

  2. Jacquelyn Hastert says

    5 stars
    I love onions, so I know that I will fall quickly in love with these. I would eat them by themselves or a top of steak, burgers, or with fajitas.

    Reply

  4. Kelly Anthony says

    5 stars
    I hardly ever cook with fennel so I really enjoyed reading your tips on how to pick out the perfect bulb and how to keep them stored so the are fresh when you are ready to cook them. Such a great read and recipe.

    Reply

  7. Lorie says

    5 stars
    I already have a long list of things I want to add these caramelized onions to! IT’s been a long time since I have had caramelized fennel–like ages, so this I am super excited for!

    Reply

  11. Aleta says

    5 stars
    The caramelization on this dish is just amazing! I love the simplicity of it and can’t wait to make this dish for my husband; he loves fennel and especially onions. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  13. Gloria says

    5 stars
    Caramelized onions are so delicious. Worth the effort and patience. This sounds like a great side dish….and I would even use it on pizza. Have you tried French pizza? The topping is caramelized onions. So good….and a bit different than the classic that everyone loves. This is a great side to any meat for sure.

    Reply

  18. Heather says

    5 stars
    I absolutetly love fennel and I have never thought using it with carmelized onions. What a gorgeous delicious idea. I cannot wait to try this.

    Reply

  20. Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

    5 stars
    Until we were back in India, I had never tasted fennel and it was a shock when I first got to taste it. It is an acquired taste and now after years of eating it, we love it. Caramelized onions are my weakness and believe it or not my 11 year old loves it more than me. I am going to give this a try.

    Reply

    • Marisa Franca says

      Hello, Sandhya! It is amazing how our children can develop their taste. I hate cilantro the first few times I tried it and now I really like the taste. If you like caramelized onion, you’ll love it with fennel.

      Reply

  23. Noel Lizotte says

    I’m such a sucker for the lovely fresh fruit and vegetable displays … I pile my cart high, then have to get really inventive to get it all eaten before it expires. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve diced and frozen simply because I’m too slow to eat it fresh. sigh.

    Reply

  24. Stephanie@ApplesforCJ says

    I haven’t used fennel bulbs very often but this looks like something I would love. Especially since I really love caramelized onions. And I actually just bought a fennel recently and wasn’t sure what I was going to make but now I do. Can’t wait to try this 🙂

    Reply

  26. Jennifer A Stewart says

    I’m not really a huge fan of the fennel flavors. I have a genetic thing that makes it taste like soap. Same with basil and anise and cilantro. I can have it in small amounts but full on is a bit harsh. Thank you for the instructions on how to store it. I am going to whip up this dish for my hubby as I know he likes it and never gets it because of me. DO you thin the roasting will mellow out the licorice flavor a bit?

    Reply

    • Marisa Franca says

      Hi, Jennifer! The slow sauteeing makes for a very mild and sweet flavor. The lemon cuts the sweetness and the Parmesan gives it the salty taste. It is an in your face anise taste. It is milder cooked than raw. If you make it for your husband, you could take a small taste and see how it goes.

      Reply

  27. Molly Kumar says

    The salad sounds so delicious and I’m a huge fan of fennel. It’s been so cold here this winter that our dinner most of the days is soup, salad and bread. So I’m going to add your salad in our next menu list to try.
    PS: that basil plant looks so pretty,

    Reply

  32. Julie | Bunsen Burner Bakery says

    Ha – I know the “I’m going to buy this great ingredient and can’t wait to use it!” and then forget about it routine so well. You pulled a great recipe for this one – we love Ottolenghi’s cookbooks and I can’t wait to eat at his restaurant on our upcoming trip to London!

    Reply

    • Marisa Franca says

      Hi, Julie! Oh, I hope you blog all about your experience at the restaurant! Lots of photos. Sometimes I get so excited at a restaurant we dig in before I think of grabbing my phone. Have a great trip!

      Reply

  34. Pam says

    I am so bad about buying a cart full of fresh fruits and veggies at the Farmer’s market and thinking, “What will I do with this when I get home?” 🙂 I raise fennel in my herb garden so I can’t wait to try this at home!

    Reply

    • Marisa Franca says

      Lucky you, Pam! I wish we had the yard space plus the sun where we could have lots of herbs, tomatoes, zucchini, etc. What we do have is a few herbs. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.

      Reply

  36. Byron Thomas says

    I think fennel is so underused. I was introduced to fennel a few years ago by an Italian ex. Before that, I never had it. I fell in love with the flavour right away.

    Reply

  37. Lisa DeNunzio says

    As children we only knew fennel as a ubiquitous vegetable that appeared at the center of a restaurant table along with olives and celery. It is much more fun and flavorful to cook it as you have shown.

    Reply

    • Marisa Franca says

      Hello, Lisa! We’ve started using fennel much more than what we used to. It adds just a wonderful flavor to a dish and now we discovered it can be the main attraction in a dish. Thank you for commenting. Buona giornata! Abbracci.

      Reply

  38. Frank says

    You’re so right, Marisa Franca. Fennel develops such as wonderful “soft” flavor when it is slowly braised. It’s quite a revelation the first time you try it. I’ve not tried it, but I can imagine the caramelized onion takes it to yet another level.

    Reply

  39. elizabeth | Ellie & Elizabeth says

    I’m starting a clean eating binge and this sounds perfect for me and hubby. It’s funny how I love veggies now but not as a kid lol! And I laughed when you still had the fennel six days later because I do the same ??❤. Love it, keep them coming, have a great week!

    Reply

    • Marisa Franca says

      Hi, Elizabeth! Would you believe I bought another fennel and it is sending out an SOS. Looks like I’ll be making fennel tonight. 🙂 I guess our tastes now have become more sophisticated and so we like veggies versus just fruit and sweets. 🙂 I’ll have to tell you about a new diet I’m going to start. Have a great week. Hugs!

      Reply

  40. Ciao Chow Linda says

    I think caramelized onions are one of the best flavors out there. Add caramelized fennel and I would make a pig of myself. I must go buy some and make this recipe. I promise to control myself. Ottolenghi’s recipes are always so delicious.

    Reply

    • Marisa Franca says

      Hi, Linda! I’m going to make some more tonight. I bought another fennel, and yes, it’s in the fridge and getting to that point. But eating caramelized fennel and onion is not difficult by any means. I will try adding the goat curd like Ottolenghi some time. Buona giornata!

      Reply

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