I often find recipes which call fennel bulb but I can never find them in stores. What would be a good?

substitute?



The recipe is a Mediterranean Vegetable Soup with Pistou. Its made with leeks, potatoes, tomatoes, olive oil, parmesean cheese and lots and lots of basil.I often find recipes which call fennel bulb but I can never find them in stores. What would be a good?
Fennel has a unique taste, and there aren't any substitutes with a similar flavor. I would add more of the other ingredients, or add another vegetable that is common in Mediterranean cooking. If fennel is the focus of the soup, then I would find another recipe.



Good Luck
Go to a Farmer's market or gourmet store.I often find recipes which call fennel bulb but I can never find them in stores. What would be a good?
fennel = finocchio = Florence fennel =bulb fennel = garden fennel = sweet fennel = (incorrectly) sweet anise = (incorrectly) anise Equivalents: 1 cup sliced = 87 grams; 1 bulb = 2 1/2 cups Notes: Fennel tastes like licorice or anise, and it's commonly used in Italian dishes. It's very versatile; you can saut锟?it and add it to sauces, braise it as a side dish, or serve it raw as a crudit锟? Substitutes (for fennel bulb): Belgian endive + 1 teaspoon crushed fennel or anise seed OR celery + 1 teaspoon crushed fennel or anise seed (celery takes less time to cook) OR celery + chopped onion + crushed fennel or anise seed (celery takes less time to cook) OR celery + Pernod, Ricard, or anisette (celery takes less time to cook) OR udo OR celery (celery takes less time to cook) Substitutes (for fennel leaves = fennel feathers): unsprayed avocado leaves OR hoja santa leaves OR parsley
celery might be quite nice. Jicama would be suitably crunchy and neutral-sweet. Maybe some pear?I often find recipes which call fennel bulb but I can never find them in stores. What would be a good?
In grocery stores it's called "anise", don't know why. It has a wide, flattened stalk section with leaves that look like dill. Pistou is awesome but you really need the Fennel or "anise" to have it come out right. the flavor is like celery with a hint of licorice, great in salads or halved, coated with olive oil, a sprinkle of basalmic vinegar and grilled.
Try Belgian Endive plus 1 tsp. crushed fennel OR anise seed



Or you could try celery plus 1 tsp. fennel or anise seed(celery cooks faster)and proceed as usual.
Aniseed... but beware!!! I tried making such a soup and substituted too much aniseed. Bloody thing had a really overwhelmingly strong taste. The next time, I took used a chicken broth in a separate pot, and simmered the aniseed... then added the result to the soup. It was easier to control the flavour that way. Cheating... but it worked!
A health food store is usually a good place to find things like that, or natural foods. And that soup sounds great. When you're done with it, can you put some in my catfood bowl? I'll purr for it!
This link should answer your question.