Blue cheese and salad have been served together for a long, long time; the iceberg wedge and blue cheese dressing is a very popular appetizer in restaurants all over the world, for example. This recipe works on the same principle that salad and blue cheese go together well, especially with a sweet element like grapes or pear. Roquefort is very high in umami, as are walnuts. Hold on to your seat and let this super-quick but rather chic salad transport you to a place of fruity, savory deliciousness.–Laura Santtini
Endive Roquefort Salad FAQs
Roquefort is one of the world’s best-known blue cheeses, and only those cheeses aged in the natural Combalou caves of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, France, can be called Roquefort. It has no rind and the slightly salty exterior can be eaten. Inside, the cheese is white, tangy, crumbly, and slightly moist, with distinctive veins of blue mold. It has a characteristic fragrance and flavor like most other blue cheeses. You can substitute another sheep’s milk blue cheese from Southern France for Roquefort if needed.
Our tester Linda Pacchiano helpfully included this in her review–“You’ll know when the nuts are done because the sugar turns dark, and you’ll smell it and see a little smoke. You need to quickly remove the nuts to a parchment-lined baking sheet or a Silpat to stop the cooking and let them cool.” Don’t turn your back on the nuts, they can go from underdone to burned in the blink of an eye.
Endive is a delicate lettuce in the chicory family, with a just slightly bitter flavor. Yellow endive is more often found but this recipe uses the sweeter red variety, so snap it up if you find it. Because it’s related to curly endive, escarole, frisée, and radicchio, any of those would make a suitable substitute.
Endive Roquefort Salad
Ingredients
For the candied walnuts
- Scant 1/2 cup walnut halves, snapped in half
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pinch cayenne
- 1 1/2 teaspoons walnut oil
For the endive salad
- 3 Belgian endives, (red or yellow)
- 1 2/3 cups green or red grapes , halved (or substitute chopped apples)
- 20 radishes, thinly sliced (from about 3 bunches)
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon Roquefort, cut into cubes the size of a postage stamp
- 4 handfuls watercress from 1 bunch watercress , (or substitute mixed salad greens)
For the vinaigrette
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chives, snipped
- Fresh lemon juice
- Runny honey, (optional)
Instructions
Make the candied walnuts
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. Caramelize the walnuts by putting them in a frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat with sugar, salt, cayenne, and walnut oil. Cook until the sugar is caramelized and turns an amberish, dark brownish color, stirring occasionally to make sure all the nuts are coated, about 3 minutes. Do not turn your back on the nuts as they are caramelizing. Immediately dump the caramelized walnuts onto the baking sheet, spread in a single layer, and let cool.
Make the endive salad
- Discard the outer leaves of the endives. Slice each endive crosswise into rings or, for a more dramatic presentation, trim the stem ends, peel the leaves away from one another, and use them whole.
- In a large salad bowl, gently toss all the salad ingredients.
Make the vinaigrette
- Whisk the oil, vinegar, and mustard together really well until emulsified. Season and add the chives and a good squeeze of lemon juice to taste and a drop of honey, if desired.
Assemble everything
- Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and gently toss so that everything is well coated. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This endive Roquefort salad is very satisfying and can be served as a starter or lunch entrée. The components complement each other perfectly to create a nice combination of sweet, salty, crunchy, and creamy. I only wanted to serve half the recipe as a lunch for two, so I combined and dressed half the ingredients and kept the rest in the refrigerator for the following day.
My salad didn’t look exactly like the photo because I used all yellow Belgian endive. Also, I used mixed salad greens instead of watercress. The walnuts can be made and eaten as a snack whether or not you’re making the complete salad.
You can use more than a pinch of cayenne if you like things spicier. You’ll know when the nuts are done because the sugar turns dark, and you’ll smell it and see a little smoke. You need to quickly remove the nuts to a parchment-lined baking sheet or a Silpat to stop the cooking and let them cool. The amount of vinaigrette was correct in proportion to the salad ingredients.
The best way I can think to sum up this endive Roquefort salad is “A Vineyard Tour in a Salad.” Between the bitterness of the endive, sweetness of the candied walnuts, freshness of the grapes, and richness of the cheese, this is so wonderfully balanced and makes for a fantastic appetizer or even light lunch alongside a nice citrusy Sauvignon Blanc.
The dressing was just right as a vinaigrette—flavorful enough to add a little kick but not so overbearing that it masked any of the main event. I used mixed greens instead of watercress. The amount of vinaigrette was just right for four decently-sized (but not meal-sized) salads.
I adore this elegant endive Roquefort salad because, to me, it has all the elements of a perfect salad. It starts with a mixture of greens that add a nice variety of taste and texture: peppery, tender watercress, and sliced rounds of crisp endive. Next, you have a bit of crunch from the candied walnuts. (I loved the slight heat that the cayenne gave the toasted nuts, and the amount of brown sugar was perfect; they became a bit caramelized in the pan which was a delight.) Next comes a bit of sweetness from the red grapes, which were a lovely pairing with the creamy Roquefort cheese. And more crunch from sliced radishes, yum!
This is a lovely base recipe for a mustardy-honey vinaigrette which really brings the whole salad together. So a lot of flavor here, plus nutrition, and it was very pretty! (And yippee for me, all of these elements happen to be some of my favorite ingredients and flavors as well!)
I did use the honey, as I thought the sweetness would go well with the blue cheese. In terms of caramelizing the walnuts, it only took about 3 minutes over medium-high heat, but I watched them very carefully so that the sugar didn’t burn and stirred very often. I poured them onto a piece of parchment to cool and harden. I served this elegant salad as a main course salad with a side of seared scallops.
This sounds delicious, and I will give it a try. I make a dressing that’s very similar, but I use mayo instead of mustard.
I can see your dressing being quite lovely in so many applications, Victoria. Am not a fan of mustard in vinaigrette so I’ll be giving your version a try. Many thanks!
I agree with you about the mustard (but I find Edmund Fallot to be the best of the lot) and think you might like the mayo version. It helps the dressing emulsify and makes it a little creamy. I whisk it with a small flat whisk to incorporate it completely. It’s especially good with a little blue cheese thrown in (and it doesn’t hurt to mix in a few cut up anchovies if you are so inclined).
Lovely. Thank you, Victoria.