The slightly bitter flavor of Belgian endive, combined with tart apple, salty feta, crunchy walnuts and sweet, succulent Parma ham, makes this salad a beautiful balance of contrasts. Brought together with a honey mustard dressing, every bite delivers a little crunch, a little creaminess and just the right touch of sweetness. Simple to prepare yet elegant enough to impress, this is the kind of salad that earns compliments.

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Belgian endive, also known as witlof in Dutch or chicon in French, is one of those versatile ingredients that works equally well raw or cooked. It’s crisp in salads and it transforms into something rich and tender when braised.

In fact, in Belgium, braised endive with ham and cheese is considered a national dish. Whether you’re using it as a salad base, a scoop for dips, or the star of a warm winter dish, Belgian endive never disappoints.

Belgian endive in a salad

Belgian endives can perfectly be eaten raw, though for some people the flavor can be a little too bitter. No worries as this is easily solved in a few simple ways.

Start by removing the hard inner core at the bottom of the endive, as this is often the most intensely bitter part. The other ingredients in the salad, along with the dressing, will do the rest, balancing out the flavors into a delicious, well-rounded bite.

Honey mustard dressing

I love the pungent taste of mustard in a dressing, just make sure to use a good quality one, like Dijon or whole grain. To balance the strong flavor, I add a touch of sweetness, like honey or maple syrup.

A good dressing should bring all the flavors of a salad together, not overpower them, so it’s important to use a mild vinegar like white or red wine, apple cider, or rice vinegar. Regular white vinegar is too sharp and will not taste nice on the salad. For the oil, I use extra virgin olive oil, but any good oil from your pantry will work.

Here is my honey mustard dressing recipe, or follow the steps below.

When preparing the dressing, always whisk the honey, mustard and vinegar together first, and add the oil only after. Adding the oil too early will cause everything to separate and not mix well. Once the other ingredients are combined, adding the oil will emulsify everything into a nice, smooth vinaigrette. No fancy blender needed, just a whisk.

Belgian endive salad with apple, ham, walnuts and feta cheese

Note: All the exact quantities of the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Belgian Endives: I like to slice the endives finely for a salad, but keep the yellow tops of the cone shaped vegetable as a whole. They have a great flavor and it’s nice for extra decoration on your plate. I also add a few gherkins or pickled cucumbers to the salad for crunchiness. If you don’t have gherkins, you can also replace them with slices of radishes.
• Feta Cheese: The saltiness of the feta cheese combines really well with the mild bitter taste of the Belgian endive. Another cheese that works well in this salad is any blue cheese, like Gorgonzola.
• Ham: The sweet and succulent taste of Italian Parma ham or Spanish Serrano ham pairs really well with Belgian endives or witlof. You can of course also use cooked ham or another type of cured meat.
• Apple: The sour tasty of a Granny Smith apple is what made me choose it for this salad. But any type of apple you prefer will do. To have an extra crunch I do not peel the apples and the bright green color makes the salad very attractive.

Interested to discover more endive recipes?

• Creamy smoked trout pasta with endives
• Braised Belgian endives with bacon and cheese
• Creamy Belgian endive soup with cream cheese and thyme
• Belgian Endive soup with curry and apple
• Crisp Belgian endive salad with egg

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