Endive Salad with Walnuts and Oranges

This is my favorite winter salad: an endive salad with walnuts and oranges that my mom used to make for us all the time when I was little. You’ll see that in the recipe I’m sharing with you, the natural bitterness of the endives is perfectly softened by the walnut oil and orange vinaigrette. Plus, with the extra cheese cubes, it’s a real treat!

The great thing about this endive salad is that I can whip it up in just 15 minutes! I often make it as a quick winter lunch as a main course (accompanied by a warm soup) or as a light appetizer. It’s so pretty and elegant that I even serve it at Christmas to add a touch of freshness to my table.

Plus, if you like endives, you absolutely must try my recipe for Endive and Brie Tarte Tatin!

Ingredients My Winter Endive Salad

What I love about this endive salad is that it’s pretty budget-friendly because you only need a few ingredients, all of which are in season in winter:

• Endives: A salad staple. Go for fresh and firm endives. The whiter they are, the less bitter they will be!
• Walnuts: For crunchiness. You can replace them with almonds, pecans or hazelnuts.
• Cheese: I use Comté, but my mom used to use Mimolette. Alternative: an old Gouda, Cheddar or even Feta.
• Oranges: Citrus fruits are great with endives. I usually mix blood oranges, oranges and mandarins to vary the tastes and colors.
• Vinaigrette: You can use your favorite vinaigrette, but in this winter salad recipe, I make it with walnut oil and orange juice. I added a little honey to soften it and old-fashioned mustard, which is milder than the classic.

You’ll find the exact quantities in the recipe card.

My 3 Tips for Making this Winter Salad Recipe Successfully:

Here are 3 tips to keep your salad crisp and fresh:

1. Ice water bath: To keep your endives firm and prevent them from softening, plunge them into a bowl of ice water for a few minutes after washing. Then dry them thoroughly.
2. Roasting walnuts: I recommend toasting your walnuts for a few minutes in the oven before adding them. This makes them a little sweeter, crunchier and enhances their aroma.
3. Season at the right moment: To keep your endive salad fresh and the endives from “cooking” under the effect of acidity, prepare everything in advance but just don’t add the vinaigrette until just before serving.

Recipe Card

Endive Salad with Walnuts and Oranges

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5 of 2 votes

A crunchy, colorful winter salad, ready in 15 minutes, that will reconcile the whole family with chicory thanks to its orange and honey vinaigrette!

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

0 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Main course, Salad, Starter

Cuisine French

Servings 4 people

Calories 233 kcal

Print Recipe

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the salad :

• ▢ 3 Belgian endives
• ▢ 4 oz hard cheese such as Comté cheese, old Gouda or Cheddar (120 g)
• ▢ 1 blood orange
• ▢ 1 orange or 1 tangerine
• ▢ 75 g whole walnuts
• ▢ A few sprigs of dill garnish

For the walnut oil vinaigrette:

• ▢ 1 tsp wholegrain Dijon mustard
• ▢ 1/4 cup orange juice approx. juice of one orange
• ▢ 1 tsp honey
• ▢ 3 tbsp walnut oil or olive oil or avocado oil
• ▢ Salt and pepper

Instructions

 

• Wash the endives, cut off the hard ends and place in a bowl of ice-cold water to firm up. Soak for 5 to 10 minutes, then dry thoroughly and cut into 1 to 2 cm slices.
  
• Roasting (optional): Place nuts on a baking tray and toast at 350 °F (180°C) for 5 minutes. Allow to cool.
  
• Using a sharp knife, remove the peel from the oranges and cut into slices. Remove the rind from the cheese and cut into small cubes.
  
• Combine mustard, orange juice, honey and walnut oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  
• In a mixing bowl, combine endives, cheese, walnuts and pour the vinaigrette. Toss well.
  
• Arrange the salad on a serving platter or plates, and garnish with the orange slices and a few sprigs of dill. Serve immediately.
  

Notes

Best eaten fresh: This winter salad recipe cannot be frozen. It should be served quickly, as the acidity and humidity quickly soften the endives.

Make-ahead preparation: Cut up all the ingredients in advance, but store them separately in a cool place. Add the vinaigrette just before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 250mg | Potassium: 168mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 366IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 187mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Tried this recipe?Tag @la.cuisine.de.geraldine on Instagram and let me know how it was!

Ideas for Varying This Endive Salad

If you feel like changing things up a bit, here are a few variations I like:

• Play with colors: Use a mix of white and red chicory, which is wonderful for presentation.
• Change fruit: Replace the oranges with apple or pear slices. In this case, replace the orange juice in the vinaigrette with a little cider vinegar (dose sparingly, it’s more acidic!).
• Vary the base: you can replace the endives with finely chopped fennel, which is delicious with orange.
• The cheese: My mom originally used mimolette, but comté is my favorite version. I even tried it with feta cheese one day when that’s all I had, and it was really good!

For more salad ideas, have a look at my 20 Ideas for Mixed Salads!

Menu Idea around This Endive Salad

Many of you ask me for menu ideas to serve with my recipes. Here’s how I’d serve this salad with endives and oranges on a winter menu:

• Starter: Potage Crécy, a French carrot and rice soup
• Main course: Braised pork with cider and apples
• Accompaniments: Celery purée and Green beans bundles with bacon
• Dessert: Chocolate mousse