How to Roast Fennel & Onions on a Gas Grill?

Grilled fennel bulbs are delicious with onions.

Roasting fennel and onions on a gas grill brings out a new flavor in each vegetable. The onions will turn from tart and tangy to sweet, and the fennel's strong licorice taste melts into a piney flavor. Roast fennel and onions together to create a tasty, savory side dish, or roast them with some protein, allowing the flavors of the vegetables to mingle with the juices of chicken, beef or seafood. Salmon especially is tasty grilled with fennel and onions.

Things You'll Need

• White or yellow onions, medium size
• 2 fennel bunches

Instructions

1. Prepare your onions. Slice 1/4 inch off each end of the onion and peel away the first two layers of the onion. Rinse the onion under running water. Cut the onion down the center into four chunks and slice each of those chunks in half.

2. Prepare your fennel. Cut the stalk off the bulbs (the thick, base area) and discard them. Rinse the fennel bulbs. Slice the bulbs into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices.

3. Toss the fennel and onions lightly with a small drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette. Sprinkle salt and pepper on as desired.

4. Wrap onions and fennel loosely in tinfoil and seal, making a closed tinfoil pack. Poke several small fork holes in the top of the pack for steam release.

5. Heat the gas grill to medium. Place the tinfoil pack on the grill for 20 to 30 minutes. Check that the fennel looks softened and slightly browned and the onions translucent and caramelized, then remove the packet from the grill.

Tips & Warnings

• You can substitute butter for olive oil for a different flavor.

• Use the discarded fennel stalks for flavoring in soups or stews.

• For a larger portion of vegetables, use a tinfoil-covered aluminum pie tin instead of a tinfoil packet.

References

• AllRecipes.com: Grilling Vegetables 101