This is a lovely and light wintery Belgian endive salad, for when you are craving something light and crunchy in the midst of a season dominated by hearty comfort foods. Plus this salad has a fair amount of healthy nutrients to brighten our winter days!
In winter, grapefruits are plentiful and can be a refreshing addition to a winter salad. Sweet-tart pink grapefruit transforms slightly bitter endive into a delicate, well-rounded, and delicious winter salad. I don’t often use Belgian endive (a.k.a escarole or witloof chicory), but raw, I love it’s crunchy, faint bitter taste that is at the same time tangy and sophisticated.
By the way, did you know this citrus fruit got its name, grapefruit, because it grows on the tree in clusters, like grapes? That’s right, there are sometimes as many as 25 fruits in a cluster hang from a tree.
As for Belgian endive, typically the lighter the leaves are, the less bitter they are and when served in salads, so it is best balanced out in some way with a something sweet, such as honey and fresh squeezed orange juice in this case.
To clean it’s delicate leaves, before cutting it, you need only wipe the outside leaves with a damp cloth or rinse it briefly under the tap and shake off the excess water (there is no need to submerge it in water). For this recipe, rather than cutting off the thick stem end and separating the individual leaves. I started chopped from the top and then discard the bitter core. However, if you are wanting to use whole leaves for a more elegant look, just trim the base of the endive and as you move closer to the center, loosen the leaves.
Winter Salad with Belgian Endive and Pink Grapefruit
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 4 medium Belgium endive, trim off any discolored leaves, slices crosswise, working your way down to the core, discard cores
- 1-2 pink grapefruits, sectioned
For the dressing:
- juice from 1 orange
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white bianca balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- salt and pepper
Method
-
In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until well combined.
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Mix together the endive leaves and grapefruit slices in a serving bowl. Toss with the dressing and serve.
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