Whole Roasted Onions with Fennel Breadcrumbs is a delicious and easy vegan side dish recipe that the whole family will love. They’re baked until they’re soft, sweet, and so tender you can cut them with a fork, and the crispy and savory fennel breadcrumb topping adds the perfect extra texture. It goes well with our Smoky Southern-Style Meatloaf and our vegan seitan chicken. This can be made gluten-free with GF breadcrumbs.
Published on January 9, 2015 and updated February 24, 2020.
This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.
Hi there! We’re Linda and Alex, the mother daughter duo and creators of Veganosity. Thanks for visiting us, we’re so happy you’re here. If you’re looking for Southern inspired vegan comfort food recipes, you’ve come to the right place.
We love vegan comfort food and we’re really good at making it. Take a tour through our site and you’ll find all of the recipes that scream, stretchy pants required!
The good news, they’re all plant-based recipes, so you don’t need to feel guilty eating them. Now sit back, relax, and eat happy. 🙂
Also, in case you didn’t know, we’re published cookbook authors. We’ve written two vegan cookbooks that will help you make amazing vegan BBQ (you don’t even need a grill) and everyday meals, from breakfast to dessert.
Click on the titles to check them out. GREAT VEGAN BBQ WITHOUT A GRILL
and THE ULTIMATE VEGAN COOKBOOK
.
This recipe was adapted from a 2015 issue of Food & Wine Magazine
Whole Roasted Onions Will Make You Fall in Love With this Spicy Root Vegetable
Even if you’re not a fan of onions, we truly believe that this recipe will change your mind.
Whole onions are roasted in vegetable broth with bay leaves until they’re caramelized and so tender that you can cut them with a fork.
We topped them with a delicious savory fennel breadcrumb mixture that adds a crisp texture to the soft onions, and a balanced flavor profile.
Because the onions bake until they’re sweet, the savory spiced breadcrumbs make this dish absolute perfection.
The Health Benefits of Onions
Not only is this a delicious side dish recipe, it’s also really good for you.
Here are some of the health benefits you’ll get from eating onions:
- They’re high in phytonutrients and flavonoids, which are thought to help prevent cardiovascular disease, stroke, and Parkinson’s disease.
- They contain the antioxidant, quercetin, which is thought to prevent cancer.
- Onions contain sulfur, which is an anti-inflammatory agent.
- To read more about the health benefits of onions, click HERE.
HOW TO MAKE BAKED ONIONS WITH A SAVORY BREADCRUMB TOPPING
Vidalia, white, or yellow onions work best for this recipe.
STEP ONE
The first thing you’ll want to do is slice the onions in half lengthwise and remove the peels, leaving the core intact.
Don’t be afraid to remove a few of the outside layers of the onion. You don’t want to leave any of the tough papery layers on them.
STEP TWO
Brush a light coating of olive oil on the onions and place the flat side down in a baking pan.
Add the vegetable broth and spread the bay leaves around in the pan. Cover with foil and bake for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until they’re soft and tender.
STEP THREE
While the onions are baking, prepare the breadcrumb topping.
You’ll want to toast the fennel seeds until they become even more fragrant than they already are.
Let them cool, then crush them.
You can use a morter and pestle or chop them with a sharp knife.
Transfer the fennel to a small bowl and add the breadcrumbs, sage, and olive oil. Season with salt and stir to combine.
STEP FOUR
Remove the foil from the pan and spread the savory breadcrumb topping evenly over the onions and bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
What to Serve with Baked Onions
These are definitely a side dish and you can serve them with anything that requires a savory vegetable.
We love these with our vegan ribs, or our lentil and vegetable loaf, and our crispy vegan fried chicken.
More Easy Vegan Side Dish Recipes You'll Love
VEGAN ROASTED GARLIC MASHED POTATOES
CRISPY ROASTED BALSAMIC BRUSSELS SPROUTS
ROASTED ROSEMARY & SAGE HOME FRIES
Make our healthy stuffed onion recipe and let us know what you think. We love to hear from you! And, don’t forget to take a picture of your gorgeous creation and tag us @veganosity on Instagram.
Let’s connect on Instagram and Twitter. You’ll get a peek into our everyday lives in our stories and see what we’re sharing in our feed.
And, don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to the blog so you never miss a recipe. Scroll below the recipe or in our side bar to become a Veganosity subscriber.
This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.
PIN ME!
BAKED ONIONS WITH FENNEL BREADCRUMBS
Equipment
- stove
- Oven
- 1 Medium Oven Safe Pan
Ingredients
- 3 medium onions SEE NOTE
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus more for brushing on the onions
- ¾ cups vegetable stock
- 6 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- ¼ cup panko breadcrumbs use gluten-free breadcrumbs if necessary
- 1 ½ teaspoon minced sage
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C)
- Cut the onions in half, leaving the root ends intact and peel them. Be sure not to leave any of the tough layers on, it’s okay to peel 2 to 3 layers off.
- Brush the onion halves with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and place the flat side down in a large baking pan.
- Add the vegetable stock and scatter the bay leaves around the onions. Cover tightly with foil and bake for approximately 1 ½ hours or until the onions are very tender and nicely caramelized.
- While the onions are baking, toast the fennel seeds in a small skillet over moderate heat until fragrant. Approximately 3 minutes. Transfer to a work surface and let cool. Use a morter and pestle to coarsely crush the seeds, or you can mince with a sharp knife. Transfer to a small bowl and add the panko breadcrumbs, sage, and the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and toss to combine.
- Carefully turn the onions over, flat side up, in the pan and evenly spoon the fennel breadcrumbs on top and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the crumbs are lightly browned on top. Discard the bay leaves and serve hot.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
PIN ME!
Leave a Reply