A delicious, fragrant variation of classic Sicilian caponata with eggplant, fennel caponata beautifully combines the unique sweet and sour flavors of this dish along with the mild, anise essence of fennel. Caponata with fennel is best enjoyed at room temperature as antipasto or a side dish.
Anywhere you travel throughout Sicily you'll be served classic Sicilian eggplant caponata, usually as an appetizer. However, there are also several variations of this traditional dish that exist including caponata with swordfish; caponata with squash (on my to do list!) or this fennel caponata.
We Italians grew up with a plate of sliced fennel served at the end of a heavy meal in order to aid digestion. I must admit, I was never fond of it!
In fact, other than in fennel and orange salad, I much prefer my fennel cooked as in oven roasted fennel with Parmigiano and breadcrumbs or in fennel risotto.
Cooking fennel brings out the natural sweetness of this vegetable beautifully, and for this reason it works perfectly in this caponata recipe!
Remember, caponata must always be prepared in advance and left to sit for at least two hours in order to allow the sweet and sour flavors to mingle!
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Why make caponata with fennel in place of eggplant?
- We all know that Italians enjoy their fruit and vegetables when in season, at their peak. Therefore, caponata with fennel is perfect for cold weather seasons, autumn or winter, when eggplant is not available.
- The bold flavor of raw fennel mellows out when cooked and becomes sweeter and therefore is beautifully paired with the traditional sweet and sour flavors of caponata.
Sicilian Caponata with Fennel Ingredient List
- Fennel bulbs: tops removed.
- Canned tomatoes: I used diced tomatoes for extra texture. You may replace canned with fresh tomatoes.
- Vinegar: red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar can be used.
- Capers: I used brine preserved bottled capers.
- Fresh parsley: may be replaced with fresh basil.
- Olives: I used pitted, sliced green olives but you may use olives of your choice.
The following are step by step instructions with images to guide you through this recipe. Please scroll to the end of this post for the detailed printable recipe card.
How to make Fennel Caponata
- Prepare the fennel: throughly rinse the fennel and chop off the tops.
- Slice in half and remove the triangle shaped core with a sharp knife. Remove the tough outer layer, or trim off any bruised or brown spots, as needed.
- Cut each half into ¼ inch thin slices.
- Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced fennel, a pinch of salt and toss to coat in the oil.
- Pour in 3-4 tbsps. of water, lower to a simmer, cover and cook until the fennel is tender, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add 2 tbsp. of olive oil to the same skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and a pinch of salt and toss. Pour in 2 tbsps. water, cover and cook until the celery is tender, but still has some bite to it, about 5 minutes.
- Uncover and add the diced tomatoes and cook stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the cooked fennel, capers and sliced olives. In a cup or bowl, stir together the sugar and vinegar. Pour into the skillet with the vegetables, stir, and cook for 3 more minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt if needed.
- Transfer the caponata to a serving dish, drizzle with the remaining olive oil, top with parsley and let sit for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to mingle before serving.
Sicilian Caponata with Fennel Recipe FAQs
Yes you can. Replace with 1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes.
Keep leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
This recipe yields about 6 portions if served as antipasto or 3-4 servings as a side dish.
In fact, caponata must always be prepared in advance since it is never served hot. The unique sweet and sour flavor of caponata is best enjoyed at room temperature.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how much you enjoyed it in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Sicilian Caponata with Fennel Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 fennel bulbs
- 5 tbsp. olive oil divided
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- salt to taste
- 1 cup canned diced tomatoes or fresh tomatoes
- 1 tbsp. capers
- 3 tbsp. green olives pitted and sliced
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1½ tbsp. sugar
- 2 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley or basil
Instructions
- Prepare the fennel: throughly rinse the fennel and chop off the tops. Remove the tough outer layer, or trim off any bruised or brown spots, as needed.
- Slice the fennel bulb half and remove the triangle shaped core with a sharp knife.
- Cut each half into ¼ inch thin slices
- Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced fennel, a pinch of salt and toss to coat in the oil.
- Pour in 3-4 tbsps. of water, lower to a simmer, cover and cook until the fennel is tender, about 8-10 minutes. Uncover and cook an additional minute to evaporate excess liquid. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Add 2 tbsp. of olive oil to the same skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and a pinch of salt and toss. Pour in 2 tbsps. water, cover and cook until the celery is tender, about 5 minutes.
- Uncover and add the diced tomatoes and cook stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the cooked fennel, capers and sliced olives.
- In a cup or bowl, stir together the sugar and vinegar. Pour into the skillet with the vegetables, stir, and cook for 3 more minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt if needed.
- To serve: Transfer the caponata to a serving dish, drizzle with the remaining olive oil, top with parsley and let sit for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to mingle before serving.
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