Braised fennel with Puy lentils is a simple vegan dish, healthy, elegant and subtle in flavors. It features some tender maple-braised fennel, lemon, dill and lentils. Delicious!
Here’s a recipe that will make you like fennel for good! Audacious yet simple and perfectly healthy, this fennel dish will take your taste buds to a whole new level.
With its complex flavor spectrum, raw fennel is sweet and earthy, with warm notes of licorice. This dominant flavor is tamed when fennel wedges are caramelized in maple syrup, while lemon and dill bring up the refreshing notes. To make this veggie-oriented dish even more nutritious, it comes with a simple lentil and fennel stew prepared with baby spinach.
Braised fennel with lentils in a pinch
- A delicious vegetable dish with tender fennel wedges
- Healthy, vegan and gluten-free
- Quick and easy to make
- Subtle, elegant and complex licorice flavors
The recipe ingredients
- Fennel bulbs. You need 1 ½ fennel bulbs cut into wedges. Cut the remaining ½ fennel bulb thinly and add to the lentil stew.
- Maple syrup. We use it to caramelize the fennel bulbs and add some sweetness to the dish.
- Lemon (juice + zest). You need 1 large lemon, preferably organic as you will use the zest.
- Dill + fennel seeds. It adds some subtle refreshing notes to the dish.
- Puy lentils. You can replace them with other green lentils or beluga lentils.
- Baby spinach. Stir in at the last minute until just wilted but still fresh and green in color.
How to make braised fennel with Puy lentils?
Head over to the recipe card for the full recipe instructions. Here are just the main steps to keep in mind when making the recipe.
- Cook the Puy lentils and drain. Remember, do not over-cook them or they may become mushy when you warm them up later on.
- Prepare and cook the fennel. Start with cutting the 1 ½ fennel bulbs in wedges (keeping the remaining ½ fennel bulb for slicing). Typically, cut in quarters, then cut each quarter in half. You will have some thick slices, that you can cook in some butter and maple syrup until soft and tender.
- Add the seasoning! Thyme, fresh dill, lemon zest and juice, with salt and pepper are what bring up all the flavors to the dish.
- Assemble the dish. This starts with sautéing the remaining fennel slices, add the cooked lentils, baby spinach, and cook for a few minutes, until wilted. Add salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Top with the braised fennel wedges, and enjoy!
How to choose and cut the fennel bulbs?
Choose a fennel bulb that is firm and fresh, with bright white bulbs. Avoid any bulbs that feel soft or look shriveled at all.
To cut the fennel, first trim the bottom and tops from the bulb, and remove any old and discolored outer layers as necessary. It’s okay that you can see little bits of green fronds in the center, but keep this minimal. Once the bottom is removed, cut into wedges, i.e. cut into quarters, then each quarter in half.
Can you eat the stalks? While technically edible, fennel stalks are usually extremely tough and fibrous, so I recommend to discard them.
Recipe variations and serving suggestions
You can replace baby spinach with kale, replace the Puy lentils with other green lentils or black beluga lentils, and add some crumbled cheese when serving (fresh goat cheese and feta would be great candidates). Some would drizzle some grated Parmesan cheese on top before serving, others will add just a drizzle of chili oil for a spicy kick.
For a complete new variation, replace the fennel with green cabbage wedges, and proceed as instructed in the recipe. It should work just fine!
More lentil recipes you’ll love:
- French Lentil Salad with Beets and Feta
- Lentil Salad with Zucchini, Feta and Mint
- Lentil Salad with Caramelized Pears and Blue Cheese
- Vegetarian Bolognese Lasagna
- Lentil Stuffed Butternut Squash with Halloumi
Braised Fennel, lemon, dill and Puy Lentils
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Mains
- Diet: Vegan
Braised fennel with Puy lentils is a simple vegan dish, healthy, elegant and subtle in flavors. It features some tender maple-braised fennel, lemon, dill and lentils.
Ingredients
- 3 ⅓ cups (250g) Puy lentils, dried
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 fennel bulbs*
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- A few sprigs of thyme
- 1 Tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- 5.3 ounces (150g) baby spinach
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cook the lentils in 3 times their volume of cold water in a large pot placed over medium heat. Add a bay leaf and cook for about 25 minutes or until tender but still al-dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Cut off the bottom and top parts of each fennel bulb, and discard. Cut 1 ½ fennel bulbs in wedges (keeping the remaining ½ fennel bulb for slicing). Cut into quarters, then cut each quarter in half. Slice the remaining half bulb.
- Melt butter in a large skillet placed over medium low-heat. Add the fennel wedges and cook until very tender and golden brown on both sides. Pour in the maple syrup and gently flip the fennel wedges until coated and slightly caramelized. Add thyme, fresh dill, lemon zest and juice. Feel free to add a little bit of water if the mixture dries out quickly. Season with salt and pepper, and remove from heat.
- In a separate skillet, cook the sliced fennel with olive oil over medium heat, until tender and slightly golden. Add the fennel seeds and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant, stirring often. Add the cooked lentils (without the bay leaf), and stir in the baby spinach and cook until wilted, stirring regularly. Add fresh dill and season with salt and pepper. Add the braised fennel bulbs, and serve with more fresh dill and extra lemon zest if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
* You will need 1 ½ fennel bulbs cut into wedges. Slice the remaining ½ fennel bulb thinly.
Did you make this recipe?
Lastly, if you make this Braised Fennel, lemon, dill and Puy Lentils, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!
