This Braised Fennel with Apricots and figs brings a nice combination of sweet and savory deliciousness. A side dish that will surely impress your guests. A really successful Vegan and Gluten Free Passover recipe that you can enjoy all year round!
Fennel is one of those vegetables that people either love or absolutely hate, mostly because of its strong licorice taste.
What most people don’t realize, however, is how much fennel changes once it’s cooked. That strong, licorice taste almost disappears, and all you’re left with is a sweet flavor and slightly buttery texture. And if you’re not convinced, check out this super simple recipe. It might make you change your mind!
Remove the fronds from the fennel. Cut the bulb in half, lengthwise, ad slice each half into 3 pieces
Season well on both sides, and arrange the slices in a large, deep skillet
Cook until the fennel is caramelized
Add orange juice, white wine and dried fruit
Simmer for 45 minutes and enjoy!
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Braised Fennel with Apricots and Figs
Prep Time: 5 mins- Cook Time: 55 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Stove top
- Cuisine: Passover
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This braised Fennel with Apricots and figs brings a nice combination of sweet and savory deliciousness. A side dish that will surely impress your guests. A really successful Vegan and Gluten Free Passover recipe that you can enjoy all year round!
Ingredients
- 2 medium fennel bulbs (fronds removed)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp seasoned or black pepper
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 10–12 dried apricots
- 8–10 dried figs, cut in half
- 1/8 – 1/4 cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Cut each fennel bulb in half, lengthwise, and slice each half in 3 pieces. Season with salt and pepper on both sides
- In a large deep skillet, heat olive oil. Arrange fennel pieces (you can crowd the pan because fennel will shrink). Cook over medium heat, 5 minutes on each side. Add orange juice, wine, apricots and figs and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes
- Garnish with pistachios (if using)
Nutrition
- Calories: 187
- Sugar: 18
- Sodium: 377
- Fat: 8
- Saturated Fat: 1.2
- Unsaturated Fat: 6
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 25.8
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 3.4
- Cholesterol: 0
Yosef - This American Bite says
ROCK ON. That looks AMAZING.
Jamie Geller says
I am one of those people that LOVES!!!! fennel raw or braised or roasted – well you get the idea. Just adore what you did here.
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you so much. We actually got the idea from a chicken recipe pour mom used to make. We wanted to make it vegetarian and thought fennel would be the perfect veggie to use. Glad you like it!
Amy says
This looks fabulous and I would love to make this with chicken too – how?
Vicky & Ruth says
If you want to make this dish with chicken, sautee chicken with salt, pepper and olive oil until fully cooked. then add the chicken to the Fennel right before adding the orange juice and the wine. We would use boneless chicken thighs. Let us know how it comes out. All the best.
Ronnie Fein says
I am absolutely making this over the weekend. This is the recipe that might finally get my husband to love fennel. The combo of the tangy dried fruit and fresh fennel — what a winner. Never thought to use that. you have opened up a whole new category for me
Vicky & Ruth says
Thanks!!! So glad to hear that. It’s amazing how people who don’t like fennel at all, end up loving it when it’s served cooked. Good luck 😉
Tamar Genger says
This looks amazing!! I love fennel and always want to try new ways to cook it, I love how it plays center stage in this recipe.
★★★★★
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you! We love fennel as well and works great braised. Glad you liked the recipe 🙂
Couldn't Be Parve says
What a beautiful picture! I never would have thought to braise fennel with fruit, it looks amazing!
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you so much. This dish was a real success, everyone loved it!
emile sabbah says
emile april 2nd
Fennel is one of the most delicious and amaizing vegetable
your recipe just give to it what it deserves thank you
emile sabbah exec chef
Vicky & Ruth says
WOW, we are honored to get such a great review from a chef. Thank you!
jessica @ the kosher foodies says
oh my! my father in law would just LOVE this dish. i must make it over the holiday!
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you! Enjoy the holiday and we hope your father in law likes this fennel recipe.
Sarah & Arkadi says
beautiful looking dish! so rustic!
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you so much!
Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens says
I’m one of those people who definitely falls into the “love” fennel group, and this is such a stunningly gorgeous preparation! What a creative and delicious flavor combination! I’ll bet this will make fennel lovers out of people who thought they didn’t like it! Yum!!!! 😀
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you Shelley, we are big fans of fennel as well! We love it cooked and raw!
Sarah Klinkowitz says
I am loving the colors – I happen to like fennel (I am not in the love or hate category, so I need to eat it more so I can love it!) and I think this dish is fantastic!
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you!! You’ll be surprised how different it tastes once it’s cooked!
lynne gill says
Drawn in by the beautiful photograph and stayed because the recipe is just so simple – what a wonderful side dish for Christmas Dinner!
★★★★★
lynne gill says
Sorry, just realised this is a Passover recipe – no offense intended – I think this would just be a great celebratory meal side dish!
Vicky & Ruth says
No apology needed! This is a great celebratory meal dish, for any Holiday! It just happens to be perfect for Passover because of its ingredients. Glad you liked it. Enjoy!!
marci says
I hate fennel but thought i would give it a try. Tired of Tzimmes thought this would be a good substitute. Loved the recipe. Making it again for Passover.
★★★★★
Vicky & Ruth says
Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Judith says
Huge success! Thank you for this amazing recipe! …and all others I had the pleasure to recreate and taste, my men loved each one of them!
Regards judith
Switzerland
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Judith!
So happy to hear you and your family are enjoying our recipes! Thank you for letting us know, we will keep them coming 🙂
Jessica says
This recipe looks delish! Any thoughts about a way to make it a dairy free main course?? I thought about adding chick peas, but not sure if I like that idea…
Vicky & Ruth says
Hi Jessica, this dish would work very well with extra firm tofu, just sauté the tofu together with the fennel, you may need to add a little extra oil. It will absorb all the wonderful flavors. Another option would be to add vegetarian chicken, like the one Tofurky sells. Chickpeas may work as well.
Sashi says
Simply awesome passover recipe!
★★★★★
Vicky & Ruth says
Thank you! Enjoy!
Andrew says
Recipe looks great. Can you make it in advance, or in a larger quantity?
Thanks,
★★★★★
Vicky & Ruth says
Yes, absolutely it can be made in advance.
Moshe Barber says
B”H
Discovered your braised fennel recipe a couple weeks before Passover and decided to go for it. We put it on our Passover menu at VegOut Cuisine here in Pittsburgh and although there were only a few people that had the courage to order it, it was amazing and a smash hit with all who were blessed to have some. Could not find KFP apricots with no sulfites so used organic Medjool dates and organic raisins along with figs. The color was much darker than your pics but the taste and texture were beyond beyond.
BTW also made a variation of your stuffed zucchini and the shepherd’s pipe, which we topped with Japanese sweet potatoes. One of our 4-yuear old seder guests ate four pieces of the latter! His saba and savta, Israeli born sephardim and longtime friends, noted that our cooking was getting better and better…so we need to give credit to you both! Thank you
★★★★★
Vicky & Ruth says
Great adaptations! We are so happy the recipes were a success for you. Thank you for the credit 😉