Fennel is a licorice-flavored root vegetable. In cooking, you can use the bulb, leaves, or seeds. Some people do not enjoy the flavor of fennel. Although it is rare, 2 percent of food allergies are fennel allergies, according to AllergyCases.org. If you are making a recipe that calls for fennel, and you cannot eat it or do not like it, there are substitutions you can make.
Fennel Bulb Substitutes
When cooked, fennel is sweet and soft. Onions also become sweet like fennel does when it is cooked and can be used to substitute fennel that is sautéed or grilled. If a recipe calls for raw fennel for a salad,though, celery is much closer in texture to fennel. Fennel is crunchy and firm when raw, like celery, but celery is not as sweet.
Fennel Leaf Substitutions
Fennel leaves, also referred to as fronds, have the same flavor profile of the rest of the vegetable. In appearance, they look almost exactly like dill. The flavor of dill is more grassy and savory than the flavor of fennel fronds, but still make a suitable replacement. For a fresher and brighter-flavored herb, you can use cilantro or parsley as well.
Fennel Seed Substitutions
Flavor-wise, the closest substitution for fennel seeds are anise seeds, which come from a different plant but also have a licorice flavor. Seeds with a similar texture but different flavor include cumin seeds, coriander seeds, caraway seeds, dill seeds and carom seeds. If you want a sweet spice to replace fennel seeds, you can try cinnamon, nutmeg or star anise.
Sweet Substitutes for Fennel
If you are using fennel for a raw preparation like a salad, you can replace its sweetness with other ingredients, such as apples or jicama. Jicama is a root vegetable that is very crunchy and slightly sweet, with a texture similar to water chestnuts. Water chestnuts are sweet and crunchy and would be a close substitute to fennel in salads.
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