Gluten Free Roasted Fennel
Roasted fennel is one of those vegetables that completely transforms in the oven — the sharp, anise-forward bite mellows into something sweet, nutty, and deeply caramelized at the edges. Cut into wedges and laid cut-side down on a hot baking sheet, each piece gets that gorgeous golden crust that makes the whole dish feel far more impressive than the ingredient list suggests. A drizzle of fresh lemon juice and a scatter of the reserved fronds at the end keep things bright and a little herbaceous. The optional red pepper flakes add just enough heat to make it interesting without overwhelming the natural sweetness of the fennel. Every ingredient here is naturally free of gluten, so there's no label-reading or substitution stress — just straightforward, whole-food cooking. This recipe serves four as a side and pairs beautifully with roasted chicken, grilled fish, or honestly just a good piece of crusty bread for everyone else at the table.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 2 large fennel bulbs (about 2 lb total)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp reserved fennel fronds, roughly chopped
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or leave it unlined — either works.
- 2
Trim the stalks from the fennel bulbs and set aside a small handful of the feathery fronds. Halve each bulb through the root end, then cut each half into 3–4 wedges, keeping a bit of the core intact on each wedge so they hold together.
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