This endive Roquefort salad is simple, satiating, and sophisticated, thanks to its balance of tastes and textures from endive, blue cheese, caramelized walnuts, grapes, radishes, and Dijon.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time5 minutesmins
Total Time20 minutesmins
Course: Salad
Cuisine: French
Servings: 4servings
Calories: 604
Ingredients
For the candied walnuts
Scant 1/2cupwalnut halves, snapped in half
3tablespoonsbrown sugar
1/2teaspoonsalt
Pinchcayenne
1 1/2teaspoonswalnut oil
For the endive salad
3Belgian endives, (red or yellow)
1 2/3cupsgreen or red grapes , halved (or substitute chopped apples)
20radishes, thinly sliced (from about 3 bunches)
1cup plus 1 tablespoonRoquefort, cut into cubes the size of a postage stamp
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.