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Grilled Belgian Endive

July 26, 2016 by Laura 6 Comments

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Our Progressive Eats theme for July is Grilling Time. While I do love to grill main courses such as salmon and vegetable shish kebabs, I decided that my contribution this time would be a side dish – Grilled Belgian Endive. 

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Belgian endive is a torpedo-shaped vegetable, generally from 4-6 inches long. The stem runs from the bottom to the middle, holding the pearly leaves together, tightly closed. Belgian endive grows from chicory seeds. It is also in the same plant family as curly endive or escarole, also known as frisée.

Chicory seeds are also a major component in New Orleans-style coffee. When I first learned that, it seemed like a strange common thread. However, then I realized that the slight bitterness in the coffee and the sharpness of Belgian endive are indeed related. 

Belgian endive are a delicious vegetable, raw or cooked. In this simple recipe, they are basted with vinaigrette and grilled.

Raw, the smooth leaves of Belgian endive form a crisp edible appetizer “boat.”  Slightly bitter in a pleasing way, they are also delicious chopped in salads, a flavorful contrast to plain lettuce.

Here's a simple appetizer using raw Belgian endive leaves. Fill them with goat cheese, honey and walnuts.

When grilled, Belgian endive becomes silky smooth. It takes only minutes to cook, cut in half and basted with  vinaigrette dressing.

While I like the slightly bitter taste, grilled Belgian endive also does well slightly sweetened. And so, I’ve paired it with a simple homemade honey mustard vinaigrette.

The ingredients for Grilled Belgian Endive. From Mother Would Know

Don’t be put off by the fancy name, or the fact that Belgian endive isn’t always front-and-center in the grocery store produce aisle. Once you recognize it, you may well find that Belgian endive has been there all along. Often on a shelf near the lettuce, escarole, and other greens, this hardy vegetable stays fresh when refrigerated for more than a week. And if you do happen to have one that is bruised, no problem. Grilled Belgian endive hides cosmetic imperfections while delivering great taste. 

Grilled Belgian Endives - a great and simple side dish for any barbecue. From Mother Would Know

Welcome to Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a Progressive Dinner Party. This month we’re featuring It’s Grilling Time! hosted by Jane Bonacci, the author of The Heritage Cook. Today we are sharing recipes that are prepared on a barbecue or grill. Savory and sweet, you can cook your entire meal outside keeping your kitchen cool and perfect for hot summer evenings. We know you’ll enjoy the kiss of smoke in every bite!

Main Course

  • Succulent Grilled Prime Rib (Gluten-Free) from The Heritage Cook
  • Grilled Flank Steak and Asparagus with BÈarnaise Butter from Creative Culinary
  • Grilled Brazilian Rub Salmon from Jeanette’s Healthy Living

Vegetables/Side Dishes

  • Grilled Fattoush Salad with Chickpeas-Sweet Peppers Naan from The Wimpy Vegetarian
  • Grilled Belgian Endive from Mother Would Know

Desserts

  • Buttermilk Panna cotta with Grilled Mango Sorbet from Spice Roots
  • Grilled Buttermilk Pound Cake with Peaches and Mascarpone from The Red Head Baker
  • Grilled Peach Melba from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
  • Smoked Caramel Pineapple Ice Cream (No Churn) from Pastry Chef Online

PS – If you are interested in gluten-free bread, Jane has just co-authored The Gluten-Free Bread Machine Cookbook. It’s now available for pre-order. Check it out!

Grilled Belgian Endive ready to eat | Mother Would Know
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Grilled Belgian Endive

A great side dish for any barbecue.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine French
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 endives
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons honey divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt Kosher or sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon or 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh tarragon, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley finely chopped - optional, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Make sure your grill is hot.
  2. Cut off the tips and bottoms of the Belgian endive and either dip it in water (then drain upside down) or pull off any the outermost layer of leaves if damaged or dirty. Cut each endive in half length-wise.
  3. Make the dressing by mixing the lemon juice, the Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of the honey, the salt and pepper. Then add the olive oil and tarragon and mix again. This makes about 1/2 cup of vinaigrette dressing.
  4. Baste each half generously with the dressing on both sides. Add the remaining teaspoon of honey, basted on the cut (open) side of each half.
  5. Grill the Belgian endive halves, covered, for about 5-7 minutes on each side. Turn them gently, so that the leaves remain attached to the core.
  6. When done, gently remove the endive halves to a serving platter. Garnish with the chopped parsley.

Recipe Notes

You probably won't use all of the vinaigrette for basting the Belgian endive. So if you pour about 1/3 of it into a small bowl for basting (and only add more if necessary), you can keep the rest untouched and save it to use as salad dressing. 

It's best to use a grill basket so the Belgian endive halves and any leaves that fall off during grilling do not fall through the grate.

While the leaves should remain attached during grilling, as they cook, the halves become more delicate. 

Filed Under: Recipes, Vegetables Tagged With: endive, grill, Progressive Eats, vegetarian

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Comments

  1. Jenni says

    July 26, 2016 at 4:46 pm

    I must admit that I have only had Belgian endive a couple of times. My taste buds have a hard time with bitterness (no grapefruit for me. Boo). But grilled, I bet the sweeten up a bit–plus that vinaigrette! I shall have to revisit endive!

    Reply
    • Laura says

      July 26, 2016 at 6:04 pm

      I hope you do try it grilled – and maybe add a bit more honey on top (besides the teaspoon I used) after basting on the vinaigrette.

      Reply
  2. Liz says

    July 26, 2016 at 7:11 pm

    I love using endive as “boats” like you mentioned. It’s now time to toss some on the grill—perfect summer side!

    Reply
  3. Jane, The Heritage Cook says

    July 26, 2016 at 7:16 pm

    Jenni and I are in the same boat – super tasters with extreme sensitivity to bitterness, but when grilled and dressed with your honey vinaigrette, I have no doubt that we would both be jumping through hoops to get another serving! Such a great side dish Laura and a terrific way to get kids to eat veggies … this isn’t “green” LOL! And thank you so much for your kindness in giving my book a shout-out. <3

    Reply
  4. Jeanette | Jeanette's Healthy Living says

    July 26, 2016 at 9:27 pm

    I’ve never tried grilling endive – great tip using a grilling basket – wouldn’t want to lose any of those precious leaves through the grill plate. The dressing sounds lovely 🙂

    Reply
  5. Ansh says

    July 27, 2016 at 5:24 pm

    I often wonder why more people don’t grill their salads. They taste phenomenal. Love grilled endives and I love your vinaigrette with it.

    Reply

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