Roasted Fennel, Mushroom and White Bean Brown Rice Gratin Recipe

White bean mushroom and roasted fennel gratin, vegetarian in a pan with a spoon scooping a portion out.

Roasted Fennel, Mushroom and White Bean Brown Rice Gratin Recipe

Creamy short grain brown rice with gruyere, mushrooms, onions and white beans make the base of this nourishing gratin. Topped with roasted fennel and lemony dijon parmesan breadcrumbs, Roasted Fennel, Mushroom and White Bean Brown Rice Gratin is a hearty vegetarian main. This recipe is vegetarian with a gluten free option.

See Makers Notes above recipe card for making this recipe vegan. **see notes below on vegetarian Parmesan.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Vegetarain

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword Fennel Mushroom Recipes, Roasted Fennel Gratin

Total Time 1

Servings Servings

Calories 508kcal

Author Traci York

Ingredients

3 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Large Fennel Bulbs with Fronds
1 cup (200 grams) Short Grain Brown Rice about 3 cups cooked
12 ounces (344 grams) Crimini Mushrooms stems removed and sliced
1 cup (120 grams) Yellow Onions diced
15 ounces (425 grams) White Beans (Cannellini) drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups (130 grams) Gruyere grated*** (see note)
2 Lemons one zested and juiced, the other for service
1/3 cup (70 grams) Vegetable Broth or white wine / dry vermouth (see note)*
1/2 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
1 teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
1/3 cup (20 grams) Breadcrumbs use homemade sourdough breadcrumbs if you can (gluten free if needed)
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
2 tablespoons Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese** (see note)

Instructions

Get Ready:

Preheat oven to 425 Fahrenheit (218 Celsius) and place oven rack in the center of the oven. Spray a 9 1/2 inch (24 centimeters) gratin or casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Using your hands or a brush, spread one tablespoon of olive oil all over the parchment paper. Set aside.

Prepare & Roast the Fennel:

Cut the fennel fronds off the bulb and chop the herbaceous parts to yield about 1 tablespoon. Set aside. Trim the top of the fennel and just a little off the base. You'll want to keep the fennel in tact at the base as much as possible so that the wedges won't fall apart. Cut fennel in half from top to bottom, then slice in 1/4 inch (25 millimeters) wedges placing the wedges close together but not touching on the sheet pan.
Brush wedges, throughly with remaining olive oil (you may have some olive oil left over and this will vary depending on the size of the fennel). Roast in oven for 30-35 minutes, checking on them at about 25 minutes. They should caramelize (turn a darker color but not burn). Some will be lighter in color, others will caramelize more-so than others. This is okay. Overall, they need to be tender.

Make the Rice Mixture:

While the fennel is roasting, cook the brown rice according to package directions. Add the cooked brown rice to a medium mixing bowl (it's okay if it cools off - but resist to make it a day ahead as the rice tends to dry out in the fridge. The moisture from fresh coked rice adds creamyness to this dish).
In a large sauté pan add 2 teaspoons of olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the mushrooms, spreading them out in a single layer as best you can and stir only occassionally, about every two minutes for 9-10 minutes. We want them to sear. Add the onion in with the mushrooms and sauté for about 4-7 minutes or until the onions are softened.
Add the mushroom/onion mixture to the mixing bowl with the rice. Mix in the beans, Gruyere, zest of 1/2 a lemon, 2 tsp of the minced fennel fronds, juice of one lemon, broth or wine, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper. Taste to adjust seasoning as needed. Spoon into prepared gratin or casserole dish.

Make the Parmesan Crust:

To make the crust, in a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, dijon, parmesan, pinch of salt and zest of 1/2 a lemon. Set aside.

Bake:

Reduce oven temperature to 400 Fahrenheit (204 Celsius). Arrange fennel wedges over the top of the rice mixture, flipping each wedge over so that the darkest caramelized side is up, shingling if needed to fit all the fennel on top. Spread the bread crumbs evenly over the gratin.
Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and gratin is warmed through. Check the gratin half way through baking to make sure the breadcrumbs aren't getting too dark. If so, lay a piece of foil over the gratin.
*You can see the difference in the blog post photos and video below the difference in roasting and baking just a bit longer for darker breadcrumbs and fennel. You can also broil the gratin 1-2 minutes for a darker crust.

Serve:

Sprinkle remaining cut fennel fronds over the top. Serve with lemon wedges and more parmesan if desired.

To Store:

Store in covered container for up to three days. When reheating, add a few teaspoons of water and cover. Reheat at 350 Fahrenheit (180 Celsius) for about 20 minutes.

Video

Notes

*I've made this recipe with veggie broth, and with dry vermouth. I love both. If making with white wine, you'll need a bit more salt. Add slowly to taste after mixing the rice mixture together.

**Parmesan Cheese: Look for vegetarian friendly Parmesan cheese (one that does not use rennet in production). BelGioioso vegetarian Parm can be hard to find, but Organic Valley is more widely available. For more information, check directly with your preferred cheese maker.

**Gruyere Cheese is typically not vegetarian, but Bore's Head brand offers their Blanc Grue Gruyere Cheese that is!

DIY fresh grated parmesan, cut a wedge into small chunks and process in a food processor until finely grated.

Nutrition