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. 
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?”
“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.
My prize is in the fridge and I can’t wait to use it. 
Six days later
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.
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.
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Tutti a tavola è pronto!
Un caro saluto e alla prossima.
Caramelized Fennel and Onions – A Slow, Easy Mediterranean Side
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
Nutrition
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Gloria says
August 4, 2018 at 9:59 amCaramelized 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.
Christine says
March 13, 2017 at 6:03 amI love fennel and am always looking for new ways to prepare it – Totally saving this recipe!
Marisa Franca says
March 13, 2017 at 7:48 amHi, Christine! I made it again and put it on pizza. It was amazing!!!!!!
Sasha @ Eat Love Eat says
March 12, 2017 at 4:01 pmYum! This looks delicious! I love fennel – I need to use it more often!
Marisa Franca says
March 13, 2017 at 7:41 amThat’s what we’re doing Sasha, eating it more often than what we used to. We even had it on pizza.
Erin says
March 11, 2017 at 8:45 pmThis would be lovely on top of some nice fish or chicken. Delicious!
Marisa Franca says
March 12, 2017 at 8:04 amHi, Erin! We do a caramelized onion on tuna but next time I’ll mix it up and use this combination.
Hanady @ Recipe Nomad says
March 10, 2017 at 11:30 pmThanks for the tips! I just bought fennel yesterday! Can’t wait to try it with this recipe!
Marisa Franca says
March 11, 2017 at 3:55 pmYou’re welcome, Hanady. Let me know how you like the recipe.
Heather says
March 10, 2017 at 10:55 pmI absolutetly love fennel and I have never thought using it with carmelized onions. What a gorgeous delicious idea. I cannot wait to try this.
Veena Azmanov says
March 10, 2017 at 12:41 pmI must admit – I’m a big fan of caramelized onions but never made them with Funnel. This sounds so yum. Can’t wait to try this. Thanks Marissa
Marisa Franca says
March 10, 2017 at 12:57 pmHi, Veena! You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much better the onion tastes with the fennel.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
March 10, 2017 at 8:06 amUntil 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.
Marisa Franca says
March 10, 2017 at 12:54 pmHello, 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.
Kylee from Kylee Cooks says
March 9, 2017 at 2:27 pmOh wow, I bet your house smelled AMAZING while this was cooking! I’d have a hard time keeping it for use in recipes, and just eat it with a fork!
Olivia @ Olivia's Cuisine says
March 8, 2017 at 10:02 pmCaramelized onions are one of my many obsessions. However, I’ve never tried them with fennel. I also must confess that I don’t cook with fennel that often! Need to get on that ASAP!
Marisa Franca says
March 9, 2017 at 6:52 amHello, Olivia! It is so good. We had it last night on our pizza. It sounds crazy but we loved it!!!
Noel Lizotte says
March 8, 2017 at 7:37 pmI’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.
Marisa Franca says
March 9, 2017 at 6:54 amYes, Noel! I understand. It’s just the two of us now but I still want to buy as if there are five. 🙁
Stephanie@ApplesforCJ says
March 8, 2017 at 6:16 pmI 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 🙂
Marisa Franca says
March 9, 2017 at 6:56 amIf you have any left over, Stephanie, put it on crostini as a topping. Last night we used it on pizza and let me tell you it was AHHHHmaaazing.
Amanda says
March 8, 2017 at 6:06 pmI love fennel. Thank you for your tips on choosing and storing fennel. This dish is a winner!
Marisa Franca says
March 8, 2017 at 6:09 pmThank you, Amanda! I made the fennel tonight to put on our pizza. 🙂
Jennifer A Stewart says
March 8, 2017 at 8:36 amI’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?
Marisa Franca says
March 8, 2017 at 11:14 amHi, 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.
Molly Kumar says
March 8, 2017 at 2:40 amThe 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,
Marisa Franca says
March 8, 2017 at 6:55 amThank you, Molly. Love having fresh basil. Hope you try the dish. It tastes best hot as a side dish but would be wonderful as a crostini topping.
Jai Want says
March 8, 2017 at 12:21 amThese look beautiful! Yum!
Marisa Franca says
March 8, 2017 at 6:53 amThank you, Jai.
Adriana Lopez Martn says
March 8, 2017 at 12:00 amFennel it is just a lovely ingredient. I like it raw too. Is perfect for salads to add crunch, aroma and flavor. Nice recipe thanks!
Marisa Franca says
March 8, 2017 at 6:55 amYou’re welcome, Adriana. We like it in all forms too.
Christine McMichael says
March 7, 2017 at 9:14 pmObsessed with Fennel lately! This looks and sounds like a wonderful side dish. Definitely adding to my list of sides to try out!
Marisa Franca says
March 8, 2017 at 6:56 amHi, Christine! Since you like fennel you’ll really like this dish. 🙂
Susie says
March 7, 2017 at 5:46 pmAnxious to try this recipe……nice change from the ho hum sides. Thanks, Marisa
Marisa Franca says
March 7, 2017 at 5:48 pmThank you, Susie! The flavors are delicious yet subtle. Big hugs to you and the family!!
Julie | Bunsen Burner Bakery says
March 7, 2017 at 3:02 pmHa – 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!
Marisa Franca says
March 7, 2017 at 3:27 pmHi, 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!
Kathy McDaniel says
March 7, 2017 at 2:07 pmI love fennel and caramelizing it with onions is genius! Looks delicious – decadent but light all at the same time! I will add this to my repertoire!! Yummy!!!
Marisa Franca says
March 7, 2017 at 3:25 pmHi, Kathy! The taste is so good! Can’t wait to make it again.
Pam says
March 7, 2017 at 2:06 pmI 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!
Marisa Franca says
March 7, 2017 at 3:25 pmLucky 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.
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
March 7, 2017 at 12:00 pmI really enjoy the fresh taste of fennel and your recipe sounds like a great side of steak or chicken cooked on the grill.
Marisa Franca says
March 7, 2017 at 12:28 pmIt was perfect with our grilled chicken. Next time I make it I’m saving some to put on crostini.
Byron Thomas says
March 7, 2017 at 8:55 amI 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.
Marisa Franca says
March 7, 2017 at 9:33 amHi, Byron! We miss the veggie when it’s not in season. We love that subtle anise taste.
Lisa DeNunzio says
March 7, 2017 at 8:05 amAs 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.
Marisa Franca says
March 7, 2017 at 9:32 amHello, 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.
Frank says
March 7, 2017 at 8:00 amYou’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.
elizabeth | Ellie & Elizabeth says
March 7, 2017 at 5:52 amI’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!
Marisa Franca says
March 7, 2017 at 6:53 amHi, 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!
Ciao Chow Linda says
March 6, 2017 at 10:15 pmI 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.
Marisa Franca says
March 7, 2017 at 6:56 amHi, 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!
Jovina Coughlin says
March 6, 2017 at 7:33 pmDelicious side dish. I really like how you made this recipe. I bet it was delicious.
Marisa Franca says
March 7, 2017 at 9:35 amHi, Jovina! The end result was a pleasant surprise. We knew it would be good, but not THAT good. 🙂 Send some fish our way, please.