The best chicory recipes in one place. Get inspired!

Looking for something really healthy and tasty?

In that case, try our chicory recipes!

Do you fancy a soup, salad or perhaps a refreshing cocktail?

You can find everything on the following lines.

Chicory salad with grilled pears

The bitter lettuce leaves in this chicory relish are balanced by the sweetness of lightly grilled pear, all topped with a date and shallot dressing. We hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 1 large firm red pear, cut lengthwise into 8 wedges
• vegetable oil spray
• leaves from 1 large or 2 small heads of radicchio lettuce, torn
• leaves from 2 heads of red chicory, torn
• leaves from 1 head of Little Gem lettuce, torn
• 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup gorgonzola, crumbled
• 1/4 cup chopped dates

For the dressing:

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons of date or maple syrup
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• pinch of salt
• grinded pepper

Method

1. Fire up the grill or grill pan.
2. Spray the pear wedges with vegetable oil and grill until lightly charred on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.
3. Leave to cool.
4. Rinse and dry the radicchio, chicory and little gem leaves.
5. Add to a large bowl along with most of the hazelnuts, gorgonzola and dates (save some for the topping).
6. Mix gently.
7. Add vinegar, lemon juice, shallot, date syrup, oil, salt and pepper to shaker.
8. Cover and shake to combine ingredients.
9. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss.
10. Sprinkle with remaining hazelnuts, gorgonzola and dates.
11. Add grilled pear wedges.
12. Serve!

Savory pie with chicory and gorgonzola

This pie is a great vegetarian dish. The sweetness of the honey works well with the bitterness of the chicory here. In addition, it is ready in just an hour and is low in calories.

Ingredients

• olive oil
• 6 chicory heads, halved lengthwise
• 2 teaspoons of powdered sugar
• zest and juice of ½ lemon
• 320 g of puff pastry
• 200 g of gorgonzola
• 3 spoons of honey
• thyme leaves from several sprigs
• green salad to serve

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan and fry the chicory halves until golden brown on each side.
3. You need to remove as much moisture as possible, so cook them until the liquid comes out.
4. Sprinkle with sugar, drizzle with lemon juice and cook until all the liquid from the pan has evaporated.
5. Unroll the puff pastry and lightly trace a ½cm border around the edge.
6. Using a spoon, spread the cheese on the dough, do not extend beyond the marked edges.
7. Reserve about ¼ of the cheese for later.
8. Place the chicory on top of the cheese and top with the remaining cheese.
9. Bake for 20 minutes until the cake is done and beautifully golden.
10. Meanwhile, gently heat the honey with the thyme and lemon zest until it melts.
11. Spread on a cake and serve with a green salad.

Stewed butter chicory

Are you looking for a new and interesting vegetable addition to your meal? Try this simple but delicious braised chicory!

Ingredients

• 4 – 6 chicory, halved or quartered if large
• 50 g of butter
• dry white wine
• 150 ml of hot vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Place the chicory cut side down in an oven-safe container.
3. Brush with butter and cover with a little wine and stock.
4. Season with black pepper and a little salt, then cover with foil.
5. Cook for 20-25 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for another 10 minutes until the chicory is nicely soft.
6. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Chicory soup

This soup with crispy chicory and parsley oil is hearty, filling and extra delicious. Definitely worth a try!

Ingredients

• 3 chicory
• 1/2 leek (white parts only)
• 3 medium-sized floury potatoes
• 1 clove of garlic
• olive oil
• 1 liter of vegetable or chicken broth
• pepper and salt to taste
• optional: a little cream
• optional: parsley mixed with olive oil, pepper and salt, for decoration

Method

1. Rinse the leek, remove the outer leaves and cut into pieces.
2. Chop a clove of garlic.
3. Remove the tough parts and outer leaves from the chicory and roughly chop it.
4. If you want, you can keep some chicory aside and finely chop it for decoration.
5. The crunchy bits will make this soup even tastier.
6. Peel the potatoes and cut them into small pieces.
7. Heat the olive oil in a medium pan and sauté the garlic for about a minute.
8. Add the leeks and potatoes and cook for a few more minutes.
9. Then add chicory and cook.
10. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil.
11. Lower the heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes.
12. When the potatoes are ready, blend everything into a smooth mixture.
13. Season with pepper and salt and serve with a little cream, finely chopped chicory and parsley oil.
14. Enjoy your meal!

Chicory and cheese panada

This meatless, French-style cheesy dish is a great way to use up chunks of crusty bread and take a simple meal to the next level.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 leeks, sliced
• 4 banana shallots, sliced
• 4 thick crushed garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves and extra for garnish
• 3 chicory heads, quartered lengthwise
• 200 g of day-old bread, chopped
• 600 ml of hot vegetable broth
• 75 g mature cheddar, grated
• 75 g niva, crumbled

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Heat the oil and leeks and shallots in an ovenproof pan/sauté over a medium heat for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and lightly coloured.
3. Add the garlic and thyme and continue to cook for 1 minute.
4. Stir in the chicory and bread.
5. Add the stock and stir in half of the two cheeses.
6. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses and cook for 10 minutes.
7. Transfer the casserole/pan to the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes.
9. Sprinkle and serve with a green salad.

Cocktail with homemade chicory syrup

This refreshing herbal drink is made with homemade chicory syrup, fennel and cumin, topped with gin, lemon juice and club soda.

Ingredients

• 200 g of powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 whole head of chicory
• 200 ml of gin
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• a handful of ice
• chicory leaves for garnish
• soda
• lemon wedges

Method

1. To make the chicory syrup, put the icing sugar and 200ml of water in a saucepan, add the cumin, fennel seeds and the chicory head.
2. Heat everything over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then bring to a boil.
3. Turn off the stove and let the syrup cool completely before straining it through a sieve lined with muslin or coffee filter paper.
4. To make the cocktail, chill 4 highball glasses in the fridge and add the gin, lemon juice and 100ml of the resulting chicory syrup to a large shaker with a handful of ice.
5. Shake and pour into prepared glasses.
6. Add a few more ice cubes, place a chicory leaf in each glass, then top up with soda and lemon wedges.
7. Serve immediately.

Storage of chicory

If you didn’t use all the chicory and you have some left over, then you might find some tips on how to store it useful. Chicory plants are more used to lower temperatures. Ideally around 3°C. It is also recommended to store it in a higher humidity. In addition, white pucks need to be stored in the dark, and this is one of the reasons why even in the store you may come across that they are covered.

Using chicory

Apart from possible allergic reactions , there is no known risk during use, even in the long term. Therefore, this plant is also suitable for daily use. However, it is not recommended for use by pregnant women due to the stimulating effects on the uterus. There is therefore a low, but still, risk of causing a miscarriage.

For more recipes with root vegetables, be sure to use our other healthy recipes .