This Roasted Fennel Salad with White Bean Sauce will make you fall in love with this underrated, yet incredible vegetable.
Fennel is not the most popular ingredient out there, but I think it’s truly special. It has a delicate and unique flavor, it’s fresh and a bit sweet and it will remind you of licorice or anise. It’s so different from all the other vegetables and if you haven’t tried it yet, this salad is the perfect way to start.
Fennel has some amazing health benefits as well. It has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-tumor and antispasmodic properties. Want to know more? Check out this link.
Roasted fennel is my favorite way to enjoy this lovely ingredient. When you roast fennel, the flavors get milder and sweeter, and the texture becomes tender, almost juicy. Fennel pairs incredibly well with citrus fruits, bitter leaves, nuts, balsamic vinegar and honey/maple syrup. So, I made a salad with radicchio, oranges, crispy white beans and toasted hazelnuts. I like to serve it over a creamy white bean sauce that’s fresh and citrusy and provides a nice contrast.
Share this roasted vegetable salad with your friends and family at your next dinner party. This vegan side dish is easy to make, but it will surely impress your guests. And thanks to the addition of white beans, this salad can also be served as a main dish, it’s a simple vegan sheet-pan dinner that’s perfect for any day of the week. It has a good amount of plant-based protein, healthy fats and fiber. It’s loaded with nutrients and Mediterranean flavors.
Liked this healthy salad? Then you have to try my Zesty Fennel and Cherry Tomato Pasta. It’s a dream.
If you try this fennel recipe, let us know what you think. Tag us on Instagram @mondaydreamsblog or leave a comment below, we love hearing from you!
Roasted Fennel Salad with White Bean Sauce
Ingredients
FENNEL SALAD:
- 2 medium fennel bulbs, about 1 pound / 450 grams when weighing just the bulbs
- 1 15 oz can of white beans, drained and rinsed – or 1 ½ cups of cooked white beans
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp grainy mustard
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 2 cups radicchio, thinly sliced
- 2 medium oranges, peeled, sliced into thin rounds, then cut into smaller pieces
- ⅓ cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped*
WHITE BEAN SAUCE:
- ½ cup white beans, leftover from the can listed above
- ½ cup fennel fronds, tightly packed
- 3 Tbsp water
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, can substitute with tahini
- 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tsp coconut nectar or maple syrup
- ¼ tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 390 F / 200 C.
- Cut the fennel bulbs: trim off the stalks and fronds (save the fronds, you’ll use them later) so that you are left with the white bulbs. Halve the fennel bulbs lengthways. Remove (and discard) the root and tough part of the core. Then slice the bulb into thin strips.
- Pat dry the white beans with a paper towel.
- Add sliced fennel, 1 cup of white beans (save the remaining ½ cup for the sauce), olive oil, balsamic vinegar, grainy mustard and sea salt to a baking sheet. Use your hands or a big spoon to mix everything up. Make sure the vegetables and beans are well coated and arrange them in a single layer.
- Bake for 15 minutes, toss, and bake for another 10 – 15 minutes. Until the fennel has caramelized on the edges and the beans are golden and crispy. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
- While the fennel is in the oven, make the white bean sauce. Add the remaining ½ cup of white beans to a high-speed blender. Add fennel fronds, water, olive oil or tahini, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, coconut nectar or maple syrup and sea salt. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Once the vegetables are cooked, transfer them to a big bowl, add radicchio, oranges and ½ the hazelnuts. Toss to combine.
- To serve, spread a thin layer of sauce on a big shallow bowl or serving platter. Add the salad on top of the sauce. Top with the remaining hazelnuts and some fennel fronds. Serve with more sauce on the side. I rarely use all the sauce; I think too much sauce can outshine the other flavors. I just save the leftover sauce for another salad.
- Enjoy!