Endive and Walnut Salad
Crisp frisee with walnuts, Gorgonzola, and a mustard dressing.
Ingredients
- 2 heads Frisee lettuce
- 60 g Walnuts
- 80 g Gorgonzola
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 4 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Red wine vinegar (optional)
Method
- Tear the frisée into bite-sized pieces, then wash and spin it dry.
- Toast the walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat, shaking often, until fragrant and lightly coloured, about 5 minutes.
- Whisk the mustard, red wine vinegar, oil, and salt into a smooth dressing.
- Toss the frisée in the dressing, then top with the toasted walnuts and crumbled Gorgonzola.
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About Endive and Walnut Salad
This endive and walnut salad is a bistro classic from the French tradition of pairing bitter leaves with rich, assertive companions. Here the greens are frisée, the frilly, pale-hearted chicory whose gentle bitterness and springy crunch stand up to bold dressings. Against that backdrop, toasted walnuts bring warm, oily crunch and crumbled Gorgonzola adds a salty, funky creaminess that melts slightly into the leaves. It is a study in contrast: crisp against creamy, bitter against savory, all pulled together by a sharp Dijon vinaigrette.
The whole thing takes barely twelve minutes, with the only real technique being a quick toast of the walnuts to deepen their flavor and a brisk whisk of mustard, red wine vinegar, and olive oil into an emulsified dressing. Dressing the frisée just before serving keeps it lively rather than wilted. Naturally low in carbs and vegetarian, it works as a light lunch, a first course before something rich, or a sharp counterpoint to roasted meats. A glass of dry white or a crusty baguette is all it needs alongside.
Endive and Walnut Salad: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Endive and Walnut Salad?
A serving has about 321 calories — 7.8g protein, 5.5g carbs, 30.2g fat, 3.9g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Endive and Walnut Salad gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Endive and Walnut Salad has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
Is Endive and Walnut Salad dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Gorgonzola. Swapping it for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
Do I need every ingredient to make Endive and Walnut Salad?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out red wine vinegar — it's optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Endive and Walnut Salad make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.