This easy endive salad is everything you crave for entertaining! It’s healthy, gorgeous, and simply bursting with fresh flavor.
Bonus? Endive lettuce is naturally so easy to hold… your guests will keep coming back for more!
This is an easy and delicious hors d’oeuvre you can feel good about serving!
When I was an event planner, I often opted to serve this Easy Hors d’oeuvre because it was always a hit! They’re so light, flavorful and easy to eat that guests frequently gravitated to them. It was always the first to be depleted!
It’s a fun twist on another favorite – Pear Appetizer with Blue Cheese and Walnuts. It requires just a few simple ingredients and a couple minutes hands on time to make.
This handheld hors d’oeuvre is so easy to eat, too. You can arrange them in a variety of ways to make this simple dish feel elegant, fun and special. Whether you line them up, arrange them in a circle or create a Christmas tree, it’s sure to be memorable and beautiful – without any effort!
I like to offer an array to accommodate everyone’s tastes and diets. It’s gluten-free and low calorie coming in at just 26 calories per serving!
What is Endive?
Endive is part of the chicory family, like radicchio, escarole, frisee and curly endive. It is wonderful when served raw or cooked. Endive is also good for you just like other leafy greens – it’s filled with fiber, calcium, potassium and vitamins.
Endive is actually a very difficult vegetable to grow. While that can contribute to a higher price at the grocery store, the unique and delicious flavor is always worth it!
Endive is perfect for special salads and appetizers like this one!
Why You’ll Love this Endive Appetizer
- Quick
- Few ingredients
- Light and fresh
- Fits within a variety of lifestyles and allergy needs
- Flexible – fill with a variety of toppings that suit your tastes
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Endive – Belgian endive (also called broad leafed endive) works best for this recipe because of its slightly cupped shape, perfect for holding the ingredients naturally.
- Gorgonzola – Creamy gorgonzola, preferably from a wedge as pre-crumbled tends to be dry. Roquefort, goat cheese or triple cream blue cheese also work well.
- Walnuts – Raw, toasted or candied.
- Parsley or Chives – To garnish.
Variations
- Drizzle honey to sweeten it up.
- Spritz with dressing to make it an endive salad or side dish.
- Add dried cranberries or fresh sliced apples or pears for a fruity spin.
- Grill it – Grilled endive is absolutely amazing! Brush endive with olive oil and grill until slightly wilted and brown. Top and enjoy!
- Can’t find endive? Romaine is an excellent alternative for a crispy, fresh background to the other ingredients.
How to Make an Endive Appetizer
- Separate Endive – Cut to remove the ends of endive. Separate leaves and arrange on a platter.
- Top – Top with fresh gorgonzola, walnuts, herbs and optional fruit.
Tips
- Use fresh cheese in a block and remove using a fork. This will yield the creamiest texture and flavor. Pre-crumbled cheese tends to be dry. When you’re working with just a few ingredients, quality is important.
- For faster prep, slice and separate your endive earlier in the day and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator to retain moisture.
- Add a fresh vinaigrette salad dressing for another layer of flavor, or try this balsamic glaze.
Frequently Asked Question
Endive can have a slightly bitter flavor, but the leaves have so much moisture that it is perfectly balanced. This lettuce is crisp and always tastes oh-so-fresh and clean.
Lettuce, endive and escarole (both members of the chicory family) are under the umbrella of the Asteraceae plant family. So yes, they are all varieties of lettuce!
Serving Suggestions
- Lined up, criss-crossed or in a circle on a platter, this appetizer is amazing any which way you serve it!
- Try it in a tree shape for an easy Christmas appetizer. Add a star using white cheddar cheese. From a block of white cheddar, Monterey jack or mozzarella, slice a square large enough for your cookie cutter. Slice it ¼” thick and press with your cookie cutter. Peel excess cheese and gently push star out. Add to the top of your tree!
How to Store
- Room Temperature – This salad can sit out for up to two hours while serving, but is best served chilled.
- Refrigerate – Belgian endive can be stored unwashed in your refrigerator, where it should keep for at least a week.
Dietary Considerations
- Gluten Free
- Low Carb
- Vegetarian
More Quick Bread Recipes
Handheld Endive Salad
Ingredients
- 2 endive
- ¼ cup gorgonzola crumbled
- ½ cup walnuts raw, toasted or candied
- herbs chives or parsley to garnish
Optional
- dried cranberries or pomegranate seeds
- honey
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cut to remove the ends of endive. Separate leaves and arrange on a platter.
- Top with fresh gorgonzola, walnuts, herbs and optional fruit.
Julie’s Tips
Variations
- Drizzle honey to sweeten it up
- Spritz with dressing to make it an endive salad.
- Add dried cranberries or fresh sliced apples or pears for a fruity spin.
- Grill it – Grilled endive is absolutely amazing! Brush endive with olive oil and grill until slightly wilted and brown. Top and enjoy!
- Can’t find endive? Romaine is an excellent alternative for a crispy, fresh background to the other ingredients.
To Store
- Refrigerate – Belgian endive can be stored unwashed in your refrigerator, where it should keep for at least a week.
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
