Roasted Endives
I think I ate my first endive last year. Is that crazy? Maybe. It wasn’t a veggie I grew up eating, let alone knowing anything about. These tiny canary yellow spears just sort of sat there staring at me in the food store next to the radicchio. I didn’t have a clue what to do with them. That is, until recently.
Today, we’re roasting them. I find this to be my favorite way to eat endives as I tend to pass on eating them raw in salads. It’s just not my thing. But roasting them? Ooooooooo, roasting them. Sweet, almost creamy and decadent to bite into as their leaves turn a delicate golden brown in the oven. Indulgent is the word my taste buds would give this recipe if they could speak.
I hope you’re ready for this.
I’m not sure what gave me the idea to roast these delicate spears. I was bored with the food in my fridge one day and found myself wandering around the produce aisles in search of something new-ish to help jazz up my life in the kitchen.
Enter the endive.
Roasted endives might sound strange. Sort of like grilled lettuce. I get it. But, trust me here.
I first made this recipe in August and fell so deeply in love with the flavors, I immediately added them to the “what to cook for Thanksgiving” list in my mind. So, here we are about to enter the holiday season and I can’t help but want to roast endives once again.
You can watch me making this recipe step-by-step here.
There’s really no way to mess up this recipe so I’m sort of lacking the “what should I share with my readers?” question that lingers in my mind when I’m writing recipes for you.
I will say this. The combination of fresh thyme, kalamata olives and capers is a home run. The walnuts also get factored in here. But, if you’re not in the mood for kalamata olives, feel free to use a green variety such as Castelvetrano. Yes, it will be a bit of a different experience but go for it.
Pine nuts could be used to swap out the walnuts, if desired, and I’m sure finely chopped fresh marjoram or fresh flat-leaf parsley could turn this into more of a summer-ish dish but I’m delighted with how the below recipe turned out so I have no interest in trying to tweak it whatsoever. I hope you feel the same way.
p.s. The cast iron baking sheet can be found in my Cast Iron Cookware feature.
Roasted Endives
Ingredients
- 6 large endives
- 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 Tablespoons walnuts
- 2 Tablespoons kalamata olives
- 1 Tablespoon capers
- 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley roughly chopped
- Aleppo pepper
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Discard any bruised, wilted outer endive leaves. Trim the roots then slice each endive in half lengthwise. Place cut-side up on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, thyme and sea salt. Roast for 20 minutes or until very tender and golden brown at the tips. If your endives are thick, they may need a few more minutes in the oven.
- Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in a large dry skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes, shaking often, or until the walnuts are fragrant and lightly browned. Immediately remove the walnuts from the skillet to stop the toasting and transfer to a small bowl.
- Remove the endives from the oven. Transfer to a serving platter. Top with the toasted walnuts, olives and capers. Sprinkle a with fresh parsley and Aleppo pepper. Serve immediately.
- Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
