Fennel and Leeks braised in the oven with chicken broth and wine and then topped with a crispy parmesan crust. The mild anise flavor from the fennel combined with the sweet oniony flavor from the leeks gives this delicious side dish a lot of depth and warmth.
It's also a great low carb side dish if you want to keep your carbs to a minimum.
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Roasted fennel bulbs and leeks are a perfect and elegant side dish that will wow your dinner guests.
It's a simple low carb recipe, yet has all the characteristics of a flavorful and hearty side dish.
Ingredients used for the braised fennel and leeks
Made with fresh produce and some simple ingredients with an optional crispy topping.
- Fennel: with a slight licorice flavor, fennel has a distinct taste that is very recognizable.
- Leeks: similar to the flavor of a green onion but with a more subtle oniony taste.
- Chicken Broth: to flavor and help braise the leeks and fennel bubls.
- White Wine: we use a very dry white wine for this recipe to minimize the carbs.
- Butter: we add knobs of butter to give this recipe some richness
- Parmesan: freshly grated parmesan is used to give a salty layer on top of the vegetables.
- Pork Rind Crumbs: this is completely optional as we combined them with the parmesan to give an extra layer of crispiness. You can leave them out or use a few panko crumbs for added crunch.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Steps by step instructions
How to make the braised fennel and leeks?
STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Cut off the root end of the leek and then cut off the dark greens on the other end. Then slice down the middle (length-wise) so that the leek is split in half. Fan out the leaves and rinse very well under water to remove any dirt. Pat dry with a paper towel.
STEP 2: Pat the leeks dry and then place them into a 13 x 9 casserole dish.
STEP 3: Clean and wash the fennel bulb then cut the core out of the center and cut it into one-inch slices. Then spread out the fennel slices on top of the leeks in the casserole dish.
- STEP 4: pour the chicken broth and white wine over the veggies and then add knobs of the butter spread out on top. Cover it with tinfoil and bake at 400°F for 30 minutes then remove the tinfoil and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Then remove from oven, and sprinkle with parmesan, salt and pepper, and optional crumbs.
STEP 5: Place the braised fennel and leeks back into the oven for 5-10 minutes just to get the top a little crispy and browned.
Other low carb recipes you might enjoy
- BBQ Bacon Wrapped Chicken Skewers
- Crispy Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
- Air Fryer Lemon Blueberry Muffins
- Keto Air Fryer Steak Bites
- Air Fryer Double Chocolate Donuts
Recipe tips
Top Tip: cleaning a leek can be tedious but it can contain a lot of dirt between the leaves. For best results separate all the leaves and give them a good rinse.
- Make Ahead: Make this braised fennel and leeks recipe ahead of time and store covered with tinfoil until you are ready to bake it.
- Serving: best served as a side dish with roasted chicken, prime rib, pork chops or a delicious cut of steak. Perfect for holiday parties, just increase the number of ingredients in the recipe card below.
- Storage: store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Recipe variations
Braised fennel and leeks are a perfect combination of vegetables and complement each other very well. Here are some variations that would go well with these veggies.
- Parsnips - for a natural nutty and earthy flavor add some slices of parsnips to this dish, cut lengthwise.
- Chicken Thighs - want to add some protein to this recipe, top the veggies with chicken thighs before baking. You can make your main and your side dish all at once.
- Vegan - keep the dish vegan and replace the butter with vegan butter and definitely omit the pork rinds as well.
Check out this delicious Air Fryer Butternut Squash recipe.
Frequently asked questions
A serving contains 3g net carbs and can be considered diabetic-friendly. However, I would always suggest monitoring your blood sugars to see how it affects you personally.
I would not recommend doing that as it will change the texture of the vegetables.
Braised Fennel and Leeks
Equipment
Nutrition
Ingredients
- 1 leek
- ½ fennel bulb
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- ½ cup pork rind crumbs optional
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F
- Trim and wash the leek, cutting it halfway down the centre lengthwise. Pat dry with a paper towel and place into the casserole dish.1 leek
- Trim and wash the fennel bulb and slice into 1" strips, place on top of the leeks in the casserole dish.½ fennel bulb
- Pour the wine and chicken broth over the veggies and then place knobs of butter scattered over them.¼ cup chicken broth, ¼ cup dry white wine, 1 tablespoon butter
- Cover with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the tinfoil and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle with the paremsan and crumbs (if using). Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place back in the oven just to brown the top. Serve and enjoy.½ cup grated parmesan, ½ cup pork rind crumbs, ⅛ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Notes
This recipe card provides the basic details to make this recipe. For more information, questions or variations please review the content above the recipe card.
Updates and Revisions
If conflicting information between the video and recipe card, the recipe card will always have the most up to date information, ingredients and instructions.
Nutritional Information
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooked food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more food guidelines
megane
Such a great combination. a lovely side dish.
Jamie
This made an outstanding side to our chicken dinner. I'm so glad I used the pork rind crumbs. It added great texture!
nancy
Fennel and Leeks braised in the oven is so flavourful and tender. amazing recipe Oscar!
Tina
Love that this is a low carb dish! It's packed with flavor and the recipe is easy to follow.