Healthy Fennel Recipes

You can use any kind of fish to make this fish and corn chowder, but try to avoid full-flavored varieties like mackerel or bluefish unless it's straight off the boat or it'll overwhelm the soup. "When you're staring down a new type of fish, chowder is a foolproof preparation," chef Mike Lata says, so try this recipe with different kinds of fish.

Lemony seared scallops and a walnut vinaigrette top this healthy dinner salad. When shopping for scallops, avoid those treated with sodium tripolyphosphate (STP); it can make them mushy and the scallops won't brown properly. Some scallops have a small white muscle on the side; remove it before cooking.

Spinach-Parmesan stuffing provides great flavor in boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Try it with the optional chicken livers in the stuffing for an extra-rich treat. And don't worry, even though when stuffed it looks like the filling will ooze out, it doesn't. The egg in the stuffing acts as a binder to keep everything in place. The recipe makes plenty of sauce, so be sure to cook up some pasta or make mashed potatoes to serve alongside the saucy chicken.

Italian wedding soup gets its name from the marriage of meat and greens. Use lean ground beef, pork, or lamb.

Manhattan chowder is the red kind, made with disease-fighting lycopene-rich tomatoes. This version substitutes crab for the clams. To make it cook faster, take your time to finely dice the vegetables. We call for convenient canned crushed tomatoes, but you only need 2 cups; store leftover tomatoes in an airtight container for 1 week in the refrigerator or months in the freezer. Then take them out to toss into other soups or sauces--you can't go wrong with adding tomatoes, from a heart-health perspective! All you need is crusty bread or oyster crackers and a tossed salad and you've got dinner.

Apples and blue cheese are a heavenly match in this fennel and apple salad recipe dressed with a tangy cider-vinegar dressing.

These cute little baked halibut parcels are easy to assemble and even easier to clean up.

These slow-cooker onions are an ideal condiment for burgers, steaks, a grilled chicken breast or sautéed fish. They also make a pleasing addition to a cheese board or topping for Brie. They're best eaten cold or warm, but not hot.

This Italian pasta salad recipe has all the flavors of antipasto--salami, Provolone and pepperoncini-- tossed together with a tangy vinaigrette and whole-wheat pasta. This healthy antipasti pasta salad is perfect for a light dinner. For the best flavor, combine the pasta salad with the dressing about 1 hour before serving.

Dried porcini give an earthy, punch to this Italian classic. Although it tastes great hot from the oven, the fennel-and-mushroom combination mellows beautifully overnight.

You don't need a panini press to enjoy these easy chicken salad panini sandwiches.

Leftover cooked chicken? This healthy grain-salad recipe is the perfect way to use it up. We like the color of red quinoa, but yellow works well too.

This salad was one of the favorites chosen from over 1,000 salad recipes for our 30th anniversary issue. In 2004, Deborah Madison waxed poetic about winter ingredients, particularly nuts. “In the chill air of winter, nuts move up to center stage as do their warming, substantial, golden oils--so good with winter salad greens and vegetables, such as shaved fennel, all of which are likely to end up in a salad together,” she says. Madison suggested using a mix of lettuces that balance each other here--a mild, tender variety, such as Boston, with a more intense and sturdy green, such as escarole, for instance.

This marinated vegetable salad recipe is a colorful composed salad inspired by the classic Italian giardiniera. Serve on a platter as is or on a bed of crisp greens. For a heartier appetizer or light lunch, add 1/2 cup each diced salami and hard cheese, such as Provolone or even white Cheddar, to the mix.

The alpine cheeses in this healthy cheese fondue recipe by Laura Werlin are known for melting smoothly, which is key in a fondue. Adding vegetables brings texture and bonus nutrition, while complementing the buttery nuttiness of each cheese. To serve 12, plan to offer 6 cups of cut-up vegetables for dipping, such as steamed broccoli and cauliflower florets or strips of raw fennel and red bell pepper.

A zesty vinaigrette makes these roasted Brussels sprouts, fennel, carrots and beets pop. If you can't find small carrots, halve larger ones crosswise then quarter lengthwise. Serve this vegetable antipasto as a side dish or appetizer.

Take the hassle out of entertaining and use your slow cooker to make this delicious brisket at your next dinner party.

One of chef Kippy Kuboy's most popular dishes at the Poplar Haus in Grand Marais, Minnesota, is his walleye po'boy. Here we serve the walleye recipe deconstructed, but go ahead and pile everything on a soft roll if you like.

The citrusy tang of delicious fresh oranges and the mild licorice flavor of fennel blend beautifully in this refreshing 25-minute salad recipe.

Pancetta (cured pork belly) is similar in taste and texture to bacon (which is cured and smoked pork belly). You can find it near the bacon at many grocery stores.

This quick and colorful side salad is a lovely accompaniment to fish, chicken, or pork. When slicing the fennel, don't discard the fronds! The wispy green tips resemble fresh dill and provide a colorful, anise-flavored garnish.

Briefly freezing the fish makes it easier to slice in this healthy raw salmon salad. Serve as a first course or alongside your favorite Italian pasta recipe.

This pasta main dish is ready in just 40 minutes. Large sea scallops take center stage, served atop ruffled-edge pasta with a lemony mushroom, fennel, and kale mixture.

Pair turkey cutlets with roasted fennel and a rich pomegranate pan sauce for a simple yet elegant dish. Garnish with jewel-like fresh pomegranate seeds if available--they are in season from September through January. Turkey scallopini (thinner and smaller than cutlets) will also work in this recipe, but will need to be cooked in batches. Make it a meal: Nutty-tasting bulgur is delicious with this.