Why You Should Reach For Escarole The Next Time You Make A Salad (2024)

FAQs

Can you eat escarole like salad? ›

The inner leaves are lighter in color and more tender than the outer leaves, so they are perfect for use in salads. If you enjoy bitter greens, you may find that they are fine on their own.

While escarole looks a lot like butterhead lettuce, you can tell them apart because escarole has wide, green leaves with slightly jagged, crumpled edges that cluster into a rosette — whereas the broad leaves of lettuce are wavy and smooth ( 1 , 2). Unlike lettuce, escarole offers a pleasant bitterness and versatility.

Escarole, a Chicory family member, boasts an impressive nutritional profile that can contribute to your overall well-being. This leafy green is a true powerhouse, rich in vitamins A, K, and C, fiber, and folate. Its high water content and low-calorie nature make it an excellent choice for weight management.

Escarole is versatile.

Dress raw leaves with a garlicky vinaigrette or pair leaves with a creamy dip. Remember, the inner leaves are best for raw preparations and the outer leaves are best reserved for cooking.

2.1 Promotes Gut Health Escarole is mainly a source of insoluble fiber. It contains 12% of your daily fiber needs per 2 cups (85 grams). Escarole lettuce can help keep you against constipation and hemorrhoids.

How Do You Take the Bitterness Out of Escarole? While escarole isn't as inherently bitter as broccoli rabe or radicchio, it does have a mild bitterness to it. It's easy to tame, however, by cooking it in garlicky olive oil and offsetting the bitter with a splash of tangy lemon juice at the end.

There are many ways to enjoy escarole, you can put in soup, eat it raw, braise it, or my favorite way is to quickly sauté it with onions, garlic, and chili flakes. If you are tired of eating spinach or kale, give sautéed escarole a try it makes for a tasty and healthy side of greens.

The chicory is often bunched and placed with heads of fresh lettuce, away from its close relatives radicchio and endive. It's more expensive than lettuce since it is considered a specialty item.

All these compounds are responsible for the healthy properties (antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and antidiabetic) of chicory on human health [7,8,9,10]. Cichorium endivia L., known as escalora, is a biennial or perennial herb and is one of the most common leafy vegetables [11].

Escarole, or broad-leaved endive (var. latifolia), has broad, pale green leaves and is less bitter than the other varieties. Varieties or names include broad-leaved Batavian endive, grumolo, scarola, and scarole. It is eaten like other greens, sauteed, chopped into soups and stews, or as part of a green salad.

What are some interesting facts about escarole? ›

Escarole is high in vitamin A which studies have shown can reduce the risk of osteoporosis and cancer. It is also high in vitamin K which aids the body in blood clotting.

Current research indicates that the high-fibre inulin found in these greens helps lower levels of glucose and LDL (bad) cholesterol in obese and diabetic patients. Escarole has identical properties to curly endive.

The leaves are a bit thick, like kale, have raggedy edges and are light green on the outside with often a pale yellow center on the inside. You can use escarole raw in salads, use it braised in soups (especially with white beans and sausage), or grill it.

Add some crushed red pepper and lemon juice, and you've made a quick, healthy side of greens to eat alongside your bird. Toss raw escarole leaves (both the green and white ends work) with a lemon vinaigrette, a horseradish-mustard dressing, or a warm anchovy dressing to wilt the leaves a little bit.

The escarole nutrition profile is low in calories but high in fiber, vitamin C and vitamin A. Each serving also contains a small amount of calcium, vitamin K and iron as well.

You can use escarole raw in salads, use it braised in soups (especially with white beans and sausage), or grill it.

Escarole has a fresh, vegetal taste with light bitterness. It's less bitter than other chicories, with the level of bitterness varying throughout the head. The inner, lighter-colored leaves are sweeter than the outer, darker green leaves. The flavor is brighter and more pronounced when raw, and more mellow when cooked.

While escarole is a traditional staple in Italian cuisine, kale comes from the north Mediterranean coast. These two leafy greens are highly nutrient-dense, with similar amounts of calories, carbs, vitamin K, and fiber per serving.