A fresh, green and delicious Fennel Fronds Pesto to make you feel like a domestic goddess -- or a domestic god.
I've been making a Fennel Fronds Pesto for years because it seems a shame to me to throw away those gorgeous, feathery greens. When you grow up in middle class India, one of the things you learn early on is to stretch every resource there is until it squeals. And there really is no reason why anyone should throw fennel fronds away. They are delicious, with a fresh, licorice flavor that lends itself perfectly to fresh salads or pestos.
This fennel fronds pesto is one I've been making for a long time now, but it's been buried under the more than 1,000 recipes that are now on this blog, so here it is again.
You can use this pesto for pasta, of course -- roast the fennel bulbs and toss them in too for a tasty and nutritious meal -- but you can also smear it on a piece of toast or top a tasty tofu or tempeh steak with it. Your imagination is the limit, and you really don't need to limit it when there's so much deliciousness on offer.
If you're worried that the pesto will taste too much of licorice, worry not. The flavor is mild, at best, and it is really quite delicious when combined with pasta. I use pumpkin seeds instead of nuts in the recipe, which makes this recipe even healthier. You can sub with pine nuts, the more traditional choice for pesto, or with walnuts.
I don't really miss cheese in my vegan pestos, but sometimes I add a dash of miso or nutritional yeast, both for their cheesy flavor and for the nutritional weight they bring. I added it here, but you could leave it out and it wouldn't hurt the flavor at all.
If you make this recipe or any other on the blog, be sure to let me know in the comments below. Or take a photo and tag me @HolyCowVegan on Instagram. I'd love to see!
Other recipes using things you might throw away:
- Watermelon Rind Dosa
- Blueberry Sourdough Pancakes
- Vegan Sourdough Waffles (The sourdough recipes are made with the "discard" portion of the sourdough)
- Also try my Vegan White Pesto and Vegan Basil Pesto
Fennel Fronds Pesto Recipe
Fennel Fronds Pesto
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 packed cups chopped fennel fronds (from two bulbs)
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed and chopped)
- ½ to 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup unsalted pumpkin seeds (you can use salted, but dial down the added salt in that case. You can also use nuts like walnuts, pecans, cashews or pine nuts)
- 4-8 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Salt to taste
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients except the oil in a food processor except the olive oil. With the blade running, drizzle in the olive oil until you have a coarse paste. Check for salt and pepper and add more if needed.
Jamie O
Wow!!! Delicious! Followed the recipe exactly and turned out amazing. Not super anise-y and so bright and fresh. Was going to use it in pasta but I think a baguette rubbed with garlic and olive oil and toasted is gonna be how we eat this! Thank you so much!
Vaishali
So happy you enjoyed the pesto! ❤️
Anni
Hi Vaishali
I came home from the organic market with a giant fennel plant and was dreading having to throw the beautiful fronds out, so thank you. I have a question : how long will this keep in the fridge and can it be frozen, do you think? TIA
Vaishali
Hi Anni, you can store the pesto in the fridge for a couple of days, and freeze it for 4-5 months.
Sally
Thank you for this recipe. It was delicious and allowed me to use all the fennel fronds in my fridge (I’d hate to waste it). I really like the addition of the pumpkin seeds.
Alexandra
Lovely recipe, thank you!