A Lady In France

White Winter Salad

Have you ever actually eaten an endive? Or do you just skim your eyes past them in the grocery store?

Or . . . is it possible you have never even heard of an endive (like me before coming to France)?

It’s a bitter type of lettuce grown without sun, and although I shared a recipe for it cooked with ham and cheese here, it is more commonly eaten in France as a cold salad. And I’m about to show you the tastiest way.

(I do realize I am taking my reputation in my hands, as I know what “enthusiastic” salad eaters you are, but I feel it behooves me to tempt you with vegetables, and not just let you eat cake).

Take about 5 medium endives, cut the core out at a slant like so, then chop them into rounds and wash them. 

You can use the leaves as an edible spoon for caviar, but more on that another time.

My salad spinner is an indispensable part of my kitchen – I hate soggy salads.

Then take a nice, ripe, firm sweet pear.

Chop it into small pieces.

Then take a hunka cheese, like gruyère. (This is emmental).

Dice it to get about 2/3 cup.

And that’s it! Except for the dressing: a heaping tablespoon of dijon mustard.

And, you don’t truly need the balsamic vinegar but it does help to make the dressing a little runnier. Don’t put much more than a teaspoon though, or it will be sour, which would perfectly well for a different salad, but not for this one. (I poured too much here and it was sour).

And then you need 4 tablespoons of bland oil. No olive oil for this one – something like canola or sunflower.

Pour it on and mix it up.

It’s not precisely a white salad when it’s tainted with balsamic vinegar.

But it’s good. Sweet, bitter, sharp and bland tastes all melt together in every bite. You can serve this white salad as a side to white meat.

Who said you didn’t need to eat greens whites in Winter Fall?

White Winter Salad
 
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Prep time
Total time
 
From:
Recipe type: Side
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 5 endives
  • 1 pear
  • ⅔ cup diced Swiss cheese
  • Dressing:
  • 1 heaping Tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (optional)
  • 4 Tablespoons bland oil, like canola
Instructions
  1. Wash and cut endives.
  2. Wash and dice pear.
  3. Dice cheese.
  4. Combine dressing ingredients.
  5. Serve as a side dish to meat. 

Comments

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Comments

  1. Mama D says

    Use white balsamic vinegar! My mother made me go buy some for a similar recipe she was making in my kitchen, precisely because she did not want the dressing to change the color of the dish. Until that moment, I had no idea that white balsamic vinegar existed. She’s one of those who firmly believes in only using white pepper in white sauces as well. 🙂

    • ladyjennie says

      What a great idea! Although I’m starting to wonder if I should revise it and put no vinegar at all. It really does taste best when it’s oil and mustard, or if vinegar, the merest splash of it. I also use white pepper in my sauces.

  3. Lia says

    I thought I had eaten endive before, but it must have been the curly kind! I’ve never had the white variety that you use here.

  4. Tracie says

    I’ve heard of endive on all the cooking shows my daughter likes to watch, but I’ve never tasted it.

    The pears and the dressing (and the cheese – I love cheese) is making me want to try this salad for sure.

  7. Cheryl Barker says

    I’ll fess up — I’m one of those who didn’t know what an endive is. But hey, now I do! 🙂 By the way, love the idea of pears in a salad. What a sweet addition! :

  9. Kristen @ Motherese says

    Ooh, that looks so yummy. As much as I like your sweet recipes, I am a big fan of salads too. I have some experience with endive, but not much (just enough to learn that I’d been pronouncing it wrong). This looks like the perfect way to get better acquainted. Merci!

  11. Jackie says

    That looks great! I see it all the time in the store and yes.. I pass it up simply because I’m not sure what to do with it! But this looks simple.
    What if I used a white wine vinegar or something similar to keep it “white”?

    • ladyjennie says

      I like your new profile pic Jackie. Someone else suggested using white balsamic (which I didn’t know existed). Yes, do try that, but don’t use too much. The dressing should be really thick. I wonder if you would like that other recipe too, with the cooked endives. I’m not sure how adventurous your kids are though.

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