27 Chicory Recipes: How to Buy and Cook Chicory

Celebrate chicories with this curated collection of 27 Chicory Recipes. Inside you’ll find flavorful ways to cook and serve radicchio, escarole, frisée and Belgian endive, plus practical tips for choosing, storing and preparing each variety, nutrition highlights, and recipe inspiration to help you enjoy them all season long.

Winter is a great time to explore hardy leafy greens, and chicories are a standout. If they’re new to you, chicories are a group of crisp, colorful lettuces with a naturally bitter edge that ranges from mild to assertive. Their flavor is part of the appeal: when paired with the right ingredients or cooked gently, that bitterness becomes a bright, complementary note.

Over the years I’ve come to use chicories almost daily during colder months. Below you’ll find practical advice on how to mellow their bitterness, how to store and prep them, and a long list of recipes to try.

FAQs
Varieties of chicory lettuce
- Endive
- Escarole
- Frisée (curly endive)
- Radicchio
27+ Chicory Recipes
References

If you enjoy seasonal produce, you may also like these other produce guides:

Apple recipes
Butternut squash recipes
Cabbage recipes
Cranberry recipes
Delicata squash recipes
Leek recipes
March seasonal produce guide
Fennel recipes
Persimmon recipes
Poblano pepper recipes
Pomegranate recipes
Swiss chard recipes
Winter fruits and vegetables

FAQs

What is chicory?

Chicory (Cichorium intybus) refers to several hardy leafy vegetables related to lettuce. They form crisp heads or loose leaves and are typically in season from late fall through early spring. Beyond the salad greens, the plant’s root has historically been roasted and used as a bitter coffee substitute. Young leaves and the flowers are edible as well.

What does chicory taste like?

Chicories are known for a pleasant bitterness that varies by variety. Raw leaves offer a bright, bitter note that pairs beautifully with sweet fruits, salty cheeses, nuts, vinaigrettes and cured meats. Cooking—sautéing, roasting or braising—softens the bitterness and brings out subtle sweetness.

Chicory lettuces including radicchio, endive, escarole and frisée

What are the benefits of chicory?

Chicory greens are low in calories and rich in vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, C and K, folate and potassium. They provide antioxidants and fiber, making them a nutritious addition to a balanced diet.

Varieties of chicory lettuce

Endive

Endive comes in two common types: Belgian (pale yellow/white, compact) and red endive (red and white). Leaves are firm and oblong, making endive ideal for stuffing, dipping, grilling, roasting or chopping into salads.

Choosing and storing endive

Select bulbs that feel heavy and show no brown spots. Store in an open plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper for up to a week. Prepped endive will keep in an airtight container for 2–3 days.

Escarole

Escarole forms a loose head with broad, sturdy leaves and a mild bitterness. It stands up well to cooking and is commonly used raw in hearty salads, or cooked into soups, stews, sautés and pasta.

Choosing and storing escarole

Look for firm, dense heads free of discoloration. Store unwashed in an open bag in the crisper for 5–7 days. Wash thoroughly before use to remove grit. Prepped escarole keeps for 2–3 days; it can also be frozen for longer storage.

Frisée (curly endive)

Frisée is an open, frizzy-headed lettuce with bright green and pale yellow leaves. Its delicate, curly leaves add texture and a slightly peppery-bitter flavor to salads and cooked dishes alike.

Choosing and storing frisée

Choose heads that feel heavy for their size and lack discoloration. Store in an open bag in the crisper for 5–7 days. Because frisée can trap dirt, wash it well, blot dry and use within 2–3 days after prepping.

Radicchio

Radicchio includes several varieties—chioggia (small, red-and-white), treviso (longer heads), speckled types and castelfranco (cream leaves with magenta speckles). Texture and bitterness vary, but all shine raw in salads or cooked to soften their flavor.

Choosing and storing radicchio

Select firm, heavy heads without blemishes. Keep in an open plastic bag in the refrigerator crisper for up to a week. Remove outer leaves to use as cups or chop for salads; prepped radicchio will keep 3–4 days refrigerated.