I came across a recipe for grilled endives on The Spruce Eats and wanted to put my own spin on the recipe using Wildtree’s Dill Dip. This dip is a mix of organic dill, organic onion, organic white pepper, and sea salt for an easy way to spice up your veggies.
Summer grilling is a great way to simplify mealtime. One way to do this is to cook your whole meal on the grill, including the veggies!
When you hear the word “BBQ” the veggies that come to mind are typically corn, onions, and peppers. However, there are so many veggies that are great grilled. One veggie that I am loving lately is endive!
The first time I tried it was in a salad and I was hooked. Wanting to learn other ways to use it I scoured the internet for new ways to prepare this vegetable.
What Is Endive?
Endive is a type of lettuce. White or yellow in color and is in the same family as radicchio and escarole.
Eat it raw or cooked, endive is versatile and can be used in so a number of ways. Chop it up and throw it in a stew, soup, or add it to your favorite salad for a tasty flavor profile.
If you are not a fan of bitter foods you are better off roasting or grilling it to make it more palatable. A dash of season and spices will also make this vegetable shine.
Endive Nutrition
Not only is endive tasty, but it is also packed with nutrition that makes it beneficial for health. Endive contains the following nutrients (R).
- Vitamins, C
- Vitamin E
- B 1 (Thiamin)
- B2 (Riboflavin)
- B3 (Niacin)
- Folate
- Pantothenic acid.
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Manganese
- Vitamin K
It is most rich in vitamin K, vitamin A, folate, and manganese. Just two cups will give you an excellent source of these nutrients giving you the daily value of 289 percent for vitamin K, 43 percent for vitamin A, and 35 for manganese. Endive is also a good source of fiber with 3 grams in 100 grams (R).
The white, yellow color tells you this veggie contains antioxidants. The compounds found in endive are known as kaempferol which protects against many inflammatory diseases (R).
Kaempferol has been shown to possibly inhibit the effect of anti-cancer drugs including mitoxantrone, topotecan, thyrosine kinase inhibitors, antibiotics (fluoroquinolones), Beta-blockers (prazosin), and antiarthritics (sulfasalazine). If you are on any of these medications ask your doctor about the dietary intake of this compound (R).
All of this adds up to make a healthy addition to your diet. Folate and other B vitamins help to metabolize fats, protein, and carbs so adding them to meals can improve your digestive health (R).
How to Pick Endive
When selecting endive, look for lettuce leaves that are bright green, whitish, or yellowish hue.
It should have crisp leaves. Avoid lettuce with brown or wilted leaves.
Ingredients for Grilled Endives
This recipe had only three ingredients and is really easy to make.
It features endive, extra virgin olive oil, and a tasty blend of Wildtree Dill Dip spices made up of sea salt, organic dried dill, organic dried onion, and organic dried white pepper.
I love adding this to my veggies for an extra kick of flavor. Check out the entire recipe below. Try it tonight and let me know what you think of it!
For another tasty grilled veggie try this asparagus recipe!
Instructions for Grilled Endives
When cutting the endive you want to slice longways so you can see all the rings of the lettuce leaves. I like using a chef’s knife to get a good cut.
Then you will mix the olive oil and the spice blend and brush it on each lettuce cup. You can use a spoon to drizzle it on but I prefer brushing it on with a silicone basting brush.
Continue until all of the cups are covered well with the spice oil mixture.
When using a BBQ be sure to place the endives on the top rack face down. To get both sides cooked you want to flip it over after about six minutes or so.
If you don’t have an outdoor grill you can substitute a cast iron grill pan. These come closest to having that BBQ grilled experience. The time may differ slightly. It is best to stand and watch while it is cooking You may need to rotate it a few times to get the full grilled effect.
Equipment Used In This Recipe
Grilled Endives with Dill and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Ingredients
- 2 Head Endive
- 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Wildtree Dill Dip
Instructions
- Slice each head of the endive lengthwise and set aside
- In a small bowl place the dill, sea salt, dried onion, and white pepper
- Add the olive oil to the spice blend and mix well
- Brush the olive oil and seasoning mixture on each side of the head of lettuce.
- Place each lettuce half on the top rack of the grill face down until lightly grilled
- Flip over to the other side and cook until browned about 6 minutes or until crispy
- Let cool 5 minutes or until cool to the touch and enjoy!
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YumFor another great grilled veggie check out this asparagus recipe
