Ah that fine endive! I can enjoy it immensely and in this delicious endive salad with stewed pears and blue cheese, it is also the perfect seasonal dish.
Belgian endive salad with blue cheese
We all know chicory or Belgian endive as part of the famous chicory with ham and cheese. Very tasty of course but I actually eat chicory more often as a salad. I usually mix it with another vegetable. Depending on the season that can be carrot or fennel or whatever vegetable. Chicory combines well with most vegetables but in this case I kept it simple with just the belgian endive.
I had leftover poached pears and that seemed an ideal combination with the spicy blue cheese I bought especially for this dish. And yes, it was even better than I had in mind.
Super easy
What’s even better is that it’s a very simple salad. It is literally ready in 10 minutes (assuming your stewed pears are already cooked of course) and makes a great lunch. But the endive salad with stewed pear can also serve very well as a side dish for the holidays.
With or without blue cheese
Whether the blue cheese goes well with the rest of your menu, you have to figure out for yourself. If you decide to omit the blue cheese (you can easily do that) then you can add some extra’s to the endive salad in the form of some walnuts. Not a must of course, but those walnuts are delicious anyway. Also with the poached pear.
I then made a simple dressing to accompany the Belgian endive salad with blue cheese from mayonnaise with apple cider vinegar and some lime juice. Check it after adding the apple cider, as some are much sweeter than others. I usually add some lime or lemon juice if I find it too sweet. Also depends on the mayonnaise you used. My favorite mayonnaise is Hellmann and it is quite salty. Calve, on the other hand, is quite sweet. So depending on which mayonnaise you used, you might need something acidic, something salty or something sweet.
Side dish
Do you use the endive salad with blue cheese as a side dish during the holidays? Then think carefully about whether the blue cheese matches the dish you are serving it with. Blue cheese is overpowering and does not go with everything. If in doubt, it is better to leave it out.
Chicory salad with stewed pear and blue cheese
Ingredients
- 4-5 pieces poached pear
- 100 gr blue cheese
- 4 heads Belgian endive
Dressing
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- pepper and salt
Instructions
- Cut the endive into thin strips and place in a large bowl.
- Crumble the blue cheese on top (keep a small amount) and spoon briefly. Cut the stewed pear into pieces or slices. Set the stewed pear aside.
- Make the dressing by mixing the ingredients for this. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir some of the dressing into the endive. Divide the endive salad between two bowls.
- Divide the pieces or slices of cooked pear over the endive salad and top with some extra blue cheese.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
