Curry-Roasted Fennel Salad with Rosemary Tahini Dressing

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Plate with a hearty serving of Curry Roasted Fennel Salad with Rosemary Tahini Dressing

So, now that we’ve conquered our fear of fennel (I mean, seriously, what do you do with this ridiculous-looking licorice bomb?), it’s time to move into uncharted, even more delicious territory: salads.

This salad is, in a word, irresistible. We dare you to take just one bite. Let us show you how this 30-minute side or entrée is made!

Platter of fresh ingredients for making Curry Roasted Fennel Salad

This star of this salad show is the fennel – curryroasted fennel to be exact.

If you fear the pungent, licorice-y taste of fennel, roasting it in a little curry powder and salt takes it to tasty town. (But let’s be real – any vegetable roasted in this curry powder is out-of-this-world delicious. What do you expect? So, much, flavor.)

What is Curry Powder?

Curry powder is not a common ingredient used in traditional Indian cooking, but rather an invention of the British to evoke the flavors of Indian cuisine. The term “curry” in Indian cooking refers to a sauce or gravy served with vegetables or meat. (source)

Curry Roasted Fennel freshly out of the oven on a baking sheet

The next step? Dressing.

It was hard to decide on just one, but for simplicity’s sake, we suggest the Rosemary Tahini Dressing from this Amazing Super Cleansing Slaw. The flavors just work.

But, if you’re looking to venture outside of your tahini comfort zone, try this 6-ingredient Vegan Tzatziki! We found that it melded really well with the complex flavor of the curry by adding a nice cooling, refreshing finish. You can’t go wrong either way.

Once your fennel is roasted, it’s assembly time. For even more protein, fiber, and crunch, we opted for a batch of our Actually Crispy Baked Chickpeas. To save time, you could also just use cooked (unbaked) chickpeas or grab some already baked at the store.

Bowl of insanely delicious and versatile Rosemary Tahini Dressing for topping salad

We hope you LOVE this salad! It’s:

Flavorful
Hearty
Fresh
Crunchy
Easy to make
Versatile
& Incredibly delicious

This would make the perfect side to bring along to dinner parties or serve alongside mains like these Mushroom Black Bean Burgers or Sun-Dried Tomato Chickpea Burgers. Leaving the chickpeas off this salad makes it more of a side for two to four people (in our opinion). But to make it an entrée for two, add the chickpeas (or cooked quinoa!) for extra heartiness.

For more hearty salads, be sure to check out our Loaded Kale Salad, Sweet Potato Avocado Salad, Curry-Roasted Vegetable & Lentil Salad, Mexican-Inspired Salad Cups with Quinoa & Black Beans, and the Abundance Kale Salad with Savory Tahini Dressing.

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

Large serving platter of Curry Roasted Fennel Salad complete with fresh greens and crunchy chickpeas

Curry Roasted Fennel Salad with Rosemary Tahini Dressing

Insanely delicious 30-minute salad with crispy, tender curry-roasted fennel. Topped with red bell pepper and a creamy tahini rosemary dressing. Add crispy chickpeas for an optional boost of protein, fiber, and crunch!
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Plate of our delicious Roasted Fennel Salad with edges of the salad platter and bowl of dressing in the corners
4.87 from 29 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Course Entrée, Side
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Indian-Inspired, Middle Eastern-Inspired, Vegan
Freezer Friendly No
Does it keep? 4 Days

Ingredients

FENNEL

  • 1 bulb fennel – fronds and stems removed, thinly sliced with a knife or mandolin
  • 1 Tbsp curry powder
  • 1 Tbsp avocado or melted coconut oil (if avoiding oil, sub water)
  • 1 Pinch sea salt

SALAD

  • 5 cups salad greens (mixed greens, kale, spinach, etc.)
  • 1 red bell pepper – seeds and stems removed, thinly sliced
  • 1 batch Actually Crispy Chickpeas – or plain cooked chickpeas (optional)

DRESSING*

  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp freshly minced rosemary
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp coconut aminos
  • 5-8 Tbsp Water to thin
  • 1 Pinch sea salt

Instructions

  • If serving with crispy chickpeas, follow the link for instructions and prepare now. Otherwise, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and arrange fennel on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with curry powder, coconut oil (or water), and sea salt and toss to combine. Spread in an even layer.
  • Roast fennel for about 20 minutes or until tender, golden brown, and slightly crispy on the edges. Set aside.
  • In the meantime, prepare dressing by adding all ingredients (starting with the lesser measurement of water) to a small blender (such as a Magic Bullet) or a mixing bowl and blending or whisking to combine. Add more water as needed until creamy and pourable.
  • Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more garlic for zing, lemon for acidity, apple cider vinegar for tanginess, or rosemary for herbal flavor.
  • To serve, arrange greens of choice on a platter or serving bowl and top with red bell pepper, roasted fennel, chickpeas (optional), and any additional garnishes, such as fresh rosemary or lemon slices (optional).
  • Serve with dressing on the side. This salad acts as a side without the chickpeas, and more of an entrée with the chickpeas.
  • Best when fresh. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days. The dressing will keep in the refrigerator up to 6-7 days.

Video

Notes

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate for one serving calculated with the oil and all of the tahini dressing, and without any optional ingredients (such as chickpeas).
*For a more cooling, lighter dressing, consider replacing the tahini dressing with this 6-Ingredient Vegan Tzatziki.
*Dressing recipe from our Super Cleansing Slaw.

Nutrition (1 of 4 servings)

Serving: 1 serving Calories: 192 Carbohydrates: 15.4 g Protein: 5.6 g Fat: 13.6 g Saturated Fat: 1.9 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 183 mg Fiber: 6.7 g Sugar: 6.3 g

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My Rating:




  1. Bridget says

    Yum! This was really good. I made a few modifications with things I had/didn’t have on hand. I didn’t have rosemary (and it’s expensive at the grocery store), so I replaced it with 1/2 teaspoon dried sage and 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme in the dressing. I also used cannellini beans instead of chickpeas (made in the same way as the crispy chickpeas with 1 tsp curry powder). Lastly, I didn’t want to waste the fennel stems or fronds, so I cut up the stems to roast with the bulb and I threw the fronds in with the salad greens! Oh, and I had leftover parsley that I threw in there. All in all, it was quite tasty and I particularly liked the extra herbs I tossed in.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Bridget! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo

  2. Jessi Bustamante says

    I made a mistake while making this, which was replacing coconut aminos with soy sauce in a 1:1 ratio. My dressing came out saltier than I’d prefer because of that. But it’s an easy fix for next time, and everything else was delicious! I used kale for my greens and plain cooked chickpeas.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Ah, yes, if using soy sauce, we’d suggest starting with half as much. Glad you still enjoyed it overall! Thanks for sharing, Jessi!

  3. Ana says

    After making this recipe, I am adopting fennel as a regular in our house! It was so good! This salad is simple to make, so different from my usual go-to dinners and everyone liked it! Thanks for the tips on peeling the chickpeas. It made all the difference. I made twice the amount of dressing and used it on roasted veggies and salads over the next few days. Delicious!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Woohoo! Roasting fennel with curry powder is our favorite way to prepare it =) Thanks so much for the lovely review, Ana! xo

  4. Marina says

    I admit, I HATE fennel, but there was one bulb in my CSA box this week so decided I had to “do the deed” and cook it. I came across this recipe and decided to give it a go and it was gorgeous (actually, I wish I had more fennel to make a larger quantity). Even if I never get fennel again in the CSA box I will now purchase it at the market because it is such a tasty and easy recipe. Many thanks for publishing it, you have turned my whole perception of fennel completely.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Roasting fennel can really give it new life =) We’re so glad you gave this recipe a try and enjoyed it. Thanks so much for the lovely review, Marina! xo

  5. Nicole says

    I made the dressing only from this recipe to try it with a roasted veggie/chickpea bowl, and I had some struggles. I used tamari instead of coconut aminos but they look similar, but my dressing turned out an unappetizing brown color rather than like the photo. Also, I started with 5 tbsp of water and the consistency was super runny. I was hoping for the beautiful look/texture of the recipe photos but no dice. Also, after lots of tweaks of the ingredients that went in and not getting the taste where I wanted it, I added in a little bit of maple syrup to bring it all together and more salt and then it was yummy. I’m not sure why mine didn’t turn out like others’ …

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Nicole, tamari is saltier and not as sweet as coconut aminos, so that’s likely the issue with the flavor. This dressing is best with coconut aminos, but if using tamari, we’d suggest using half as much and increasing the maple syrup. As for consistency, brands of tahini can vary in thickness, so that may be the difference there.

  6. Sherri says

    Another Keeper. I wanted something different then the standard orange fennel salad and this was delish. The dressing is amazing. Just threw my garbanzos on the same sheet pan with the fennel bulb and roasted them together

  7. Naina Shah says

    Hi
    I am naina Shah
    Hopefully you and your family are all well in the corantine.
    I luv your recipe they are easy and yummy and quick
    I am a vegetarian and do not even have eggs so your vegan recepies are handy
    Thank you
    Can you please help me
    Every time I use tahini somehow my dressing becomes very thick
    Thank you
    Naina Shah

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Naina, we’re so glad you enjoy our recipes! It sounds like it just needs to be thinned with additional water. Hope that helps!

  8. Lindsey says

    This was DELICIOUS — beautiful, simple, and healthy. I didn’t have curry, so I used garlic sunflower oil instead of coconut for flavor. Definitely a make again!

  9. ML says

    So tasty and such a fun recipe with awesome flavors. The fennel bulbs I had were rather small so I used two, and felt that was appropriate (I could’ve done with more but those who shared the salad found it fine since fennel is so strong). I might’ve decreased the amount of rosemary in the dressing but again, my guests thought the dressing was balanced well. The sweetness of the bell pepper balances well with the more aromatic rosemary. I used a lot of extra lemon juice and salt in my dressing, in particular.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo

  10. Vanya says

    Hi Dana,

    You are basically my one and only recipe-go-to I think is good enough – your ideas are amazing, but I see you don’t use the veg fennel that much. Will you have in the future some more inspirational ideas on this beautiful vegetable? I will even love you more ;)

  11. Sandy says

    Delish! I didn’t have time to roast the chickpeas, but it was still very tasty adding them from the can. The dressing on this is so good that now I want to try it on your Super Cleansing Slaw. (I’ll have to get another fennel soon!)

  12. Elizabeth says

    Loved this! So yummy! I made it warm by sautéing some chard then serving on top of baked sweet potatoes (similar to you other recipes that I love). So perfect for the two fennel that came in my CSA box. Thank you!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerDana @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks for sharing, Elizabeth!! So glad you enjoyed it. Also, next time would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. xo!

  13. Marlene says

    Woah, this salad is delicious and I want to eat it all the time. Definitely going to be on rotation in my home.

  14. Megan says

    I love this salad, the curried fennel and rosemary dressing are fantastic. Will definitely make it again.

  15. Naomi Paul says

    The dressing on this salad is amazing! (I haven’t tried the salad yet but am looking forward to it. I had needed a dressing quickly and saw this recipe so gave the dressing a try). Twice. It is delicious!! Both times I replaced the fresh rosemary with 1 tsp dried. The first time i thinned out the recipe with 8 TBS water and added a little more water each time I used it to finish up the dressing. Even tasted good thinned out. The last time I used 5 TBS water and used it all up for a larger salad. I used a Bullet for these two recipes and it worked great. Will used a high speed blender when I double/triple the recipe.

  16. Madeline says

    This dinner was AMAZING! I may have loved the dressing so much I ended up eating spoonfuls of it with the chickpeas…totally healthy right??

  17. Thearhee says

    This salad was really nice – an unusual pairing of flavours (tahini, rosemary and curry powder) that I would have never thought of myself but worked beautifully. Thanks for sharing!

  18. Lauren Roberts says

    This was so good! I added roasted curry sweet potatoes and fresh blackberries. I also added a sprig of rosemary to the fennel while baking. Bomb.com. thank you doll!

  19. Rebecca says

    Delicious and versatile! If you don’t have chickpeas make some crunchy lentils or add seeds. I had never had fennel until I tried this recipe and now I make it for my husband and I all the time. Thank you for your amazing recipes!!

  20. Ryan says

    I’m allergic to sesame seeds – what do you think is the best substitute for tahini? Thank you!

  21. jacki says

    Super super good. I made this for my book club and it was such a hit. When I make it in the future, I will double the dressing because I would have liked just a little more and I wouldn’t mind putting it on other things. I cheated and got a bag of Bombay spiced roasted chickpeas from Whole Foods to save a little time and they added great flavor. I already LOVE fennel so it’s awesome to have another recipe to add to my repertoire!

  22. alex says

    Made exactly as directed and it was excellent. Never would have thought to combine a curried vegetable with a rosemary dressing but it really worked. Thanks!

  23. Jenn says

    I made this dressing tonight for the first time — and it is just amazing. I am adding this to my regular rotation.

    Thanks!

  24. Suzy says

    His comment was “different, but I like it!” What he meant to say was that the fennel with curry along with the crunchy chickpeas (also dusted with curry) combined with the light rosemary and garlic flavor in the dressing resulted in a deep, flavorful salad. It was refreshing, because oftentimes I eat salads that are covered with a powerful dressing and the individual vegetables lose their identity and taste.

    Rolling the chickpeas in a flour sack towel easily removed the skins. And they did crunch up nicely! I can see these being a wonderful snack!

    Definitely a win win dinner! Thanks so much!

  25. Cassie Thuvan Tran says

    LOVE the idea of roasting fennel for a salad. It brings out the most beautiful smell and flavors with anything. I also would love to try the roasted chickpeas–they look absolutely scrumptious!

  26. Stacey says

    Is there anything you could replace the coconut aminos with? I don’t have it in and it’s £6.99 a bottle and for one 1 1/2 tbsp it doesn’t seem worth it to buy it :)

    Thanks in advance

    • Madeline says

      I used soy sauce, I know this is against a lot of diets but it tasted amazing! I couldn’t fork over the $$$ just for one recipe either…

  27. Erin M. says

    Doubled the recipes and served it for Mother’s Day lunch. Everyone loved it! Will definitely make again.

  28. Cassie says

    Making this right now and the smell of the roasting fennel is unrealll. Can’t wait to eat it up! Do you have any suggestions about how to use the stems and fronds of the fennel? I’ve never cooked with fennel before so I’m not sure if there are any ways to cook this part, but I’d hate to waste it. Thanks!

      • Cassie says

        Thank you Dana! I decided another option would be to douse the extra fennel pieces in the rosemary tahini dressing because that stuff is DELICIOUS and could probably make any root, stem, stick, or edible object taste good ?? Thanks again for all the great recipes!

  29. kirk says

    And the utility of this recipe continues! Tonight I cooked 2 chicken breasts in the tahini dressing sous vide 150 F for 1 hr. I then seared over hot charcoal (30 secs ea side) . I paired it with grilled veggies and drizzeld the cooking juce from the tahini chicken bag over the veggies after plating. Thanks for the recipes D. ?

  30. kirk says

    i made this (w/chickpeas) and loved it. had it two nights in a row. it was my first time ever to eat or to cook with fennel. the second night i roasted it over charcoal on the grill and followed the rest of the recipe. that was the bomb! the tahini dressing made me cry. i made another batch tonight and put on mixed greens with sauted mushrooms, smoked anchovies, blueberries, and salt and pepper pistachios.

  31. Angela says

    Love love love. Easy to make. I actually roasted the chickpeas with curry and avocado oil and left an additional 10 minutes. It was a total hit!

  32. Alma Estiva says

    Loved this salad which I made for the first time. The dressing would might be better with one less garlic clove. Otherwise, the salad was delicious!!

  33. Carolyn Donovan says

    Made this tonight for dinner for the two of us. Quite a hit.
    I paired it with braised tofu slices, marinated in oil, lemon, rosemary, and garlic, to riff off the salad.
    The curry roasted fennel was different but not unappealing. It’s a flavor profile that’s not, I think, a standard American one, but it was a nice change and we liked it!

  34. pauline webb says

    Oh wow. I will no longer walk by Monsieur Fennel and wonder what to do with him. Thank you Dana!!!

  35. Raag says

    This sounds super yummy….you rock…what an innovative salad idea you got….
    On that note let me tell you…I am a librarian…and I have got copies, and copies, added of your newest, and even earlier books, in my Library catalog. You are popular, Lady!.
    Enjoy the patronage from all of us here.. and my patrons at my library.
    :)
    Of course, this recipe gets mad on my kitchen-counter tomorrow.
    Bless your healthy heart.