Endives and Pear Salad with Goat Cheese Vinaigrette
Belgian endives are my favorite of the chicory family. I love their versatility. They are transformed into a soft, buttery unctuousness when braised or baked in a gratin, are the perfect vehicle for handheld appetizers and are the foundation of so many salads—particularly those with blue cheese. In this dish, they are paired with pears, whose
delicate sweetness complements the slightly bitter, crisp flavor and texture of the endive leaves. The goat cheese in the vinaigrette provides a delicate yet tangy creaminess to the dish.
Endives and Pear Salad with Goat Cheese Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For the Vinaigrette
- 3 ounces goat cheese
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
- ⅓ cup olive oil, extra virgin
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- Zest of 2 lemons
For the Salad
- 8 Belgian endives, leaves separated
- 4 ripe pears, peeled, quartered, cored and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted
Instructions
- Place all the vinaigrette ingredients in a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth, 15–30 seconds.
- Arrange the endive leaves and pear slices on a large platter. To create anopen-flower effect, place the larger leaves around the outside of the platter,then work toward the center using smaller leaves. Add the pear slices ontop of and between the endive leaves.
- Scatter the almonds over the salad. When ready to serve, drizzle thevinaigrette over the top.
Nutrition
Pascale Beale
Chef, teacher and food writer, Pascale Beale, owner of Pascale’s Kitchen, grew up in an eccentric European family who cherish food, wine and the arts. She is the author of 10 Mediterranean-style cookbooks, including the best sellers Salade and Salade II. Her food memoir, 9’ x 12’: Adventures in a Small Kitchen, a multi-media book, is hosted on Substack. Her latest cookbook is Flavour: Savouring the Seasons.
