Endive with Tart Apple Dressing and Blue Cheese

A sophisticated salad featuring crisp endive leaves topped with a tangy apple-citrus dressing and a rich pecan-blue cheese mixture. The combination of fresh endive, tart apple dressing, and creamy blue cheese creates a perfect balance of flavors and textures.

4 servings
28 min

Ingredients

  • ½ cup pecans
  • ½ cup finely crumbled Bayley Hazen Blue or other firm blue cheese
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • ¾ teaspoon gray sea salt or other coarse sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • cup apple juice
  • 2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • teaspoons olive oil
  • 4 whole endive
  • preferably red
  • leaves separated

Cooking Instructions

  1. 1.

    Preheat oven to 300°F. Toast pecans on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing halfway through, until slightly darkened and fragrant, 12-15 minutes. Let cool. Toss in a medium bowl with blue cheese, oil, honey, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

    15 min

  2. 2.

    Whisk apple juice, vinegar, lemon juice, oil, and 1/4 tsp. lemon zest in a small bowl; season dressing with salt.

    5 min

  3. 3.

    Toss endive in a large bowl with half of dressing; season with salt.

    3 min

  4. 4.

    Divide nut salsa among plates and arrange salad on top. Spoon remaining dressing onto endive and grate some lemon zest over top to finish.

    5 min