This is a guest post! I met Jess from Wild Vegan Flower on Instagram, and I am so happy being able to share some of her great content on my website! Her vegan recipes are seriously amazing, and so mouthwatering! Jess is a photographer, recipe developer, and (as mentioned) the creator behind Wild Vegan Flower. Her mission with Food Blogging is helping to share beautiful, enjoyable, and eco friendly recipes with her audience. Please enjoy her contribution to this Blog and this delicious Oven Roasted Fennel and Potatoes Recipe!
Roasted Fennel and Potatoes are the perfect side for a decadent dinner. The fennel in this recipe helps brighten the flavors by adding a hint of sweetness that pairs wonderfully with the herbs. It is perfect for a Sunday Roast, a companion to your holiday dinner, or fantastic on their own as a healthy snack.
The seasonings in this dish are middle eastern inspired, where it is smoky, hints of sweetness, and savory.
Sumac
Sumac is common in middle eastern dishes and is the main spice that makes za’tar- and yet it grows here in the US. It is so common in the US that the flower itself is commonly foraged!
The flavor is unique, it is citrusy, smokey, and savory. You could forage for it locally outside while hiking. Otherwise it’s much simpler to pick it up in your spice isle at the grocery store. Every international grocery store will carry it, most traditional ones should. It is a fantastic spice to add to your collection if you don’t have it already.
I also love it on seitan, sprinkled over tomato soup, avocado toast, in salsa, or popcorn. Try using it with anything you want a savory with a citrus note.
Which makes it a perfect pairing with sweet fennel!
Shallots
This recipe also uses shallots which are like very small onions, with a light, sweet, delicate flavor. You could substitute it with more yellow onion if you don’t have it. Be cautious to not use too much yellow onion or you could overpower the fennel. Fennel tends to have a lighter, more delicate flavor when you roast it. The flavor can easily be lost if you over season or use too much onion.
Truffle Salt
Another less common spice in this recipe is truffle salt. It is a gourmet salt that is infused with dried black truffles, the flavor is slightly nutty, woody, and has this incredible savory flavor to it. Adding ½ teaspoon of truffle oil will work just as well in place of the salt. I personally like using the salt over the oil since it is more affordable, however, the infused oil is much more powerful. Some recipes only need a couple of drops of the oil to transform the dish. There is no substitute for either, but it does help enhance this roast. (That being said, you can still make a delicious roast without the use of truffles)
Potatoes and Peppers
There are lots of options with the potatoes, I did a mix of baby reds and baby yukon. I wouldn’t use russet as the skin will get tough when you are roasting it. That being said, feel free to experiment with red, yukon, yellow, or even sweet potatoes could be a sweeter twist.
If you want to use sweet potatoes try adding a 1tsp of Urfa pepper (preferred), or Aleppo, or chili pepper. Sweet potatoes will need something to help cut the overly sweet flavor.
Urfa pepper is preferred since it is a low heat pepper with a slight liquorish, fruity hint- which is incredible with sumac. Aleppo is similar, but is more smoky and slightly less fruity. I recognize that those spices are not very common (especially in American cooking), so a bit of chili powder will also do the job. However, try to add those two spices to your collection if you can- they are a game changer! If you are potato obsessed like me, be sure to check out how to make rainbow fries.
Don't forget to visit Jess' blog for more delicious savory recipes, and give her a follow on Instagram @wildveganflower
📖 Recipe
Oven Roasted Fennel and Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 Medium Red Potatoes
- 1 Whole Fennel
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ Medium Yellow Onion
- 2 Shallots
- 3 Sprigs Thyme
- 2 teaspoon Sumac
- 1 ½ teaspoon Truffle Salt Can be substituted with Sea Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F / 190°C
- Quarter your potatoes.
- Roughly chop your fennel, then finely chop the fennel prons.
- Roughly chop your onion and finely chop your shallot.
- Place your chopped veggies in a large bowl.
- Add your olive oil and stir to coat everything.
- Now add all your spices, be sure to remove the steam your thyme.
- Roast for 20 minutes.
- Serve with a garnish of edible corn flowers, dip in some tzatziki, enjoy as a side or snack, and bon appetit!
The provided nutritional information is an estimate. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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