Braised Endive Salad Recipe

If you haven't yet tried a braised endive salad, then let us just tell you that you're missing out. If you are a salad fan, then this is one way to think a little outside of the box and stray from your typical romaine or iceberg lettuce. This recipe is made with both endives and baby gem lettuce, and it's incredibly satisfying. Endives have a distinct taste you're going to love. When they are raw, they have a bitterness to them. But when they're cooked, they taste rich with a bit of tartness, which is the case in this dish.

Maren Epstein, who is the brains behind this yummy salad. She shares that her favorite part of it is "how quickly this recipe comes together. Braising traditionally takes a long time, but the delicate nature of endives allows the braising process to happen quickly." 

Keep scrolling to find out how to make this tasty salad that is sure to please your pallet.

The first step in the process is to gather everything you'll need to make this delicious recipe. For starters, you will need butter and an endive. Be sure that the endive is sliced in half longways, as that is what the recipe calls for. In addition, you can use either vegetable stock or water. "I prefer stock for this recipe," Epstein notes. "While water does work, it doesn't add as much flavor to the endives." In terms of spices, you will just need some salt and pepper.

To complete your grocery list, add the baby gem lettuce and sliced beets. You can also use warm honey as an optional garnish, but we'll leave that up to you if you want to add it. Once you have everything together, you may can get started.

First, you'll want to make the balsamic reduction. To do this, take out a small saucepan and add in the vinegar. Let it simmer for a bit until it has reduced by 75%. By the time it is finished, it should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Once it reduces, take it off of the heat. Then, pour it into either a squeeze bottle or a mason jar, and set it aside for future use. Keep it on hand because you'll need it shortly — this recipe doesn't take long!

Now, take out a small skillet for your endive. Set the heat to medium, and then you can add in a few ingredients. Add in the butter first, followed by the endive. When placing the endive in, you want to be sure that the sliced side is facing down. This is the part that you'll want nice and brown when it's finished. 

Continue cooking it until the bottoms are brown and caramelized, which is a good indicator that it's close to being done. Then, add enough stock or water to cover the endive at least halfway.

Once you cover the endive with liquid, put the cover on the pot and allow it to cook in the simmering liquid. You will know it's finished when you can pierce it with a knife and the blade slides out easily. It will usually take about 20 to 25 minutes to fully cook the endive, so you can either set a timer or just keep an eye on it. Once it's finished, go ahead and remove it from the skillet. One more step until you can enjoy this delicious dish. It's pretty simple, right?

Now it's time to plate your masterpiece. Take out a serving dish or a plate, and arrange the lettuce, beets, and endive. Once you have them lined up perfectly, drizzle it with balsamic reduction and serve it immediately. In addition, you can also drizzle some warm honey for a little bit of sweetness, but if honey isn't your thing, then feel free to leave it out. 

"This is the perfect summer salad that can be served along with other seasonal dishes, such as stuffed artichokes, grilled eggplant, and grilled chicken," Epstein shares. Sadly, leftovers don't do well, as they get mushy.