Get on the good side of this deliciously bitter green
Best to buy
Endive is available all year round and peaks from November until the end of April.
Cut & clean
Rinse endive in cold water just before using.
Super in salads
Endive adds a fresh characteristic to salads. Try pairing curly endive with radicchio and Greek olives.
Power food
Endive is a good source of vitamin A.
30-second recipe
Toss endive leaves with sliced pear and blue cheese for a savory salad.
Also indexed as: Belgian Endive, Escarole, French Endive,
Witloof
Preparation, uses, and tips
Rinse endive in cold water just before using. Toss Belgian endive leaves with sliced pear and crumbled blue cheese. Combine curly
endive, radicchio, and Kalamata olives. Cook
escarole with white beans and chopped
garlic.
Buying and storing tips
Belgian endive is available year-round, with a peak season from November through April.
Curly endive and escarole are available all year long, with the peak season from June through
October. Buy crisp, firmly packed heads of Belgian endive, and store them wrapped in a paper
towel inside a plastic bag for a day or two. Look for crisp, firm heads of curly endive and
escarole, and store them in plastic in the refrigerator for two to three days.
Varieties
Belgian endive, also called French endive or witloof, is a small, cylindrical head of pale,
tightly packed leaves. Curly endive, sometimes mistakenly called chicory, has lacy,
green-rimmed and curly leaves, with a prickly texture and slightly bitter taste. Escarole has
broad, slightly curved, pale green leaves with a milder flavor than either Belgian or curly
endive.
Nutrition Highlights
Endive (chopped, raw), 1/2 cup (50g)
Calories: 4
Protein: 0.31g
Carbohydrate: 0.84g
Total Fat: 0.05g
Fiber: 0.77g
*Good source of: Vitamin A (513 IU)
*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular
nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value. Foods that are a “good
source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the Recommended Daily
Value.