If you like a light dinner with soup and salad on a cold winter night, like I sometimes do, you may enjoy this sweet and savory option. People that do not enjoy the bitter taste of endive might want to try this, because the apple nicely counterbalances its bitterness by adding a sweet crunch. In my version of this salad, I also added sliced celery, which adds to the sweetness. To add an interesting flair to the salad, I dress it with a old style mustard and apple cide vinegar dressing. It really is as simple as it is delicious !

A French Classic Reinvented

Endive apple and walnut salad is a French classic. It is usually made with a famous blue sheep cheese called Roquefort. As I was never very fond of blue cheese, I started to make my own version of this salad with another hard sheep cheese, Manchego. Some of my kids started to like it despite the bitter salad taste when I added celery to the mix, and a bit of romaine lettuce. If I get to make my kids under 10 to eat endives in salad, I bet you could too!

How difficult is it to make this salad?

This salad is all but hard to make. It only takes to cut ingredients and make a quick dressing.

I am on a dairy free diet. What do I replace cheese with?

A good replacement in this salad would be avocado. It would also counterbalance the bitterness of endives nicely, and go well with apples.

Are there special ingredients to make it?

Yes. There are special ingredients if you don’t always carry them in your pantry.

If you have extra virgin olive oil, you will be fine. Expeller or cold pressed canola oil, or cold pressed walnut oil are only optional. I purchase them in oder to have more omega 3 in my diet. Cold pressed or expeller pressed organic canola oil I find at my local Lidl in North Carolina. For people that don’t have Lidl nearby, you can probably find it at health stores.

You can purchase Walnut oil I purchased online from Swanson. It is a neutral tasting oil that you should not heat up in order to keep nutrients intact. I use both these oils in my dressings. The walnut oil being neutral, it is better in baby food than canola oil.

Whole grain or old style mustard may be an uncommon item for you, but you can find it at most stores.

Of course, endives are not always easy to find. If you have Trader Joe’s nearby, you’ll find it. Whole foods and larger top of the line grocery stores like Harris Teeter and Publix also carry them. You can mix endives with a head of radicchio for color ( purple foods are good for memory!), or simply romaine.

Can I replace endives with another bitter salad like escarole?

You may, but in my opinion escarole taste better with yet a sweeter fruit that complements the texture of escarole better: orange or clementines.

Explain how to cut endive

For this salad, simply place the endive lengthwise, cut the bottom off and slice it in 1/3 inches thick circles. The layers will simply separate by themselves in the salad.

Endive or Chicory: One of many bitter foods packed with health benefits

It is now well established that naturally bitter tasting foods are packed with health benefits. Accoding to Dr Axe, ” recent studies now confirm that bitter foods can enhance digestive health, sharpen the appetite, aid in the prevention of leaky gut syndrome, optimize nutrient absorption, improve the gut microbiome and more.” Read his article for more details on all benefits, including a list of bitter tasting foods everyone would gain to add to their diet.

Among others, bitter foods would improve digestion by activating some digestive processes and acting as probiotics, which would in turn improve nutrient absorption, protecting the gut lining against leaking gut. Bitter tasting vegetables are also rich in prebiotics fibers, thereby feeding your gut good bacteria. finally, they help activate some hunger hormones like ghrelin, signaling our stomach that we are no longer hungry and can stop eating. An all-in-one win!

The prebiotic fiber that endive or chicory is known for? Inulin ! The one sweet powder that you can use you replace sugar with to make yogurt and that is calorie free. I also use it to avoid sweeteners in my hot chocolate.

Additionally, bitter foods would help activate some hunger hormones like ghrelin, signaling our stomach that we are no longer hungry and can stop eating.

I don’t like bitter foods. How can I get their nutritional benefits?

If you are not fond of bitter tastes, adding them little by little into your daily diet may help. For example, you can add bitter ingredients to your meals mixed into an entree salad, a sweet and savory salad. Progressively, with repeated exposure, your tastebuds adapt to tastes they are uncomfortable with. You can add some bitter foods in your smoothie, but make sure not to over emphasize the sweet taste when making smoothie, because enjoying too much sweetness in your food just strengthens your love for sweets at the expense of your tolerance of bitter tastes.

Another way to make sure your green leafy vegetables taste better is not to overcook them. Usually, overcooking produce worsen their bitter taste, as the other sweet tasting nutrients like Vitamin C fade away the longer you cook them. For example, cabbage not only start tasting more bitter, but also releases a sulfuric smell that is uncomfortable and repulsive. That’s a signal that it’s been overcooked. Cook your cabbage a shorter amount or time – some don’t need cooking at all! – and this problem won’t occur.

top bitter foods you should try!

Enjoy bitter foods you like more often ! Among the most famous, many are ingredients I use a lot in my recipes:

Here are some ideas you should try that contain bitter foods!

Apple cider vinegar is often present in my salad dressings, including the dressing used for this salad.

Artichoke – Artichoke is delicious ! Cut one huge artichoke it in four quarters, steam them for about 20 minutes, and eat them dipped in aioli !

Arugula – You should try my Arugula Pineapple salad, sweet and savory is usually a good bet!

Brussels sprouts – If you gave a good food processor with a 2 mm blade, you can try my Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad. It is quick to make, counterbalances the Brussels sprouts bitterness with apple, ham and celery. For cooked Brussels sprouts, you can also try Steamed Brussels sprouts & Butternut stir fry

Chicory – it is a bitter green that you can eat like you would eat arugula, except it is spicier. Add a handfull some sweet and savory salads!

Cranberries We rarely eat cranberries raw without cooking. For best results, steam them a short time and mix with steamed apples and sugar for a cranberry apple sauce that is not oversweetened. This is one of my kids favorite spreads on bread or with yogurt and granola: Cranberry Apple Compote: Steamed treat for Thanksgiving !

Dandelion greens – Dandelion greens are spicy greens that taste great in salad or as a pesto. The least bitter leaves are the smallest ones – as in baby arugula. You can harvest them in your own yard, preferably not if you spray with weed killers…

Dark chocolate – Dark chocolate is my go to “magnesium supplement” sweet tooth craving. I buy 72% cocoa bars from trader joes ( that contain cocoa butter rather than soy lecithin) . If you don’t like chocolate as dark as I do, try to progressively eat darker and darker chocolate. This is a good way to acclimate your tastebuds to it. Your tolerance will increase overtime. I had to grow into it like everyone!

Dill – dill is a herb that we love to sprinkle on rice when we eat meatballs. Or add to the brine of pickled cucumbers ! It is very delicious!

Eggplant. You can try A French Classic: Aubergine Caviar or Eggplant Dip)

Ginger: add in powder in asian meals, make ginger kombucha, buy candied ginger or ginger bitters ! It will also wake you very effectively.

Grapefruit ( it does taste great in salads with avocado

Kale ( try my Kale & Quinoa Lemony Goodness salad

Mint : I like spearmint I like a lot, has a sweet taste that taste great with green tea. I also like to sprinkle dried spearmint on my sweet potato and carrot fries ),

Sesame seeds are in tahini and taste great in home made hummus. Try my Savory Intense Hummus, With A Steamed Cuisine Twist, it is very easy to make and also involves soaking and steaming your garbanzo beans.

Finally, bitters exist as supplements that can support digestion and nutrient absorption. Look at your preferred supplement provider to find some!