How Can I Prepare Chicory?

There are many possibilities and methods: Chicory can be prepared cold as a salad or raw. It can also be fried, steamed, boiled, or boiled in salted water. When prepared warm, chicory is particularly suitable as an accompaniment to fish. In the salad, the slightly bitter-tasting vegetables harmonize with sweet components such as oranges and pears. It also goes well with goat cheese, avocado or radicchio.

Chicory – so delicious tastes bitter

Chicory is best known as a salad and is often found as an aromatic kick of freshness on mixed raw food plates. The elongated shape of the leaves is also suitable for nibbling or as an edible filling for a shrimp salad or similar. The vegetables are ideal for a healthy snack between meals – or as a light starter in combination with spicy dips. The crunchy leafy greens can also be prepared for warm dishes. Because the nutty taste of chicory provides a wonderful aroma for all kinds of dishes. A great example of this is our Roasted Chicory with Vanilla Orange Vinaigrette. In principle, you can also prepare chicory in the steamer. Sprinkled with a little salt and drizzled with good olive oil, the vegetables also taste great on their own – or as a light side dish with meat. For fans of bitter side dishes, chicory goes well with beer.

By the way: chicory belongs to the daisy family and was originally traditionally harvested in autumn. The vegetables are now grown in the cold room all year round. The leaf rosette, a bud up to 20 centimeters long, is edible. This contains the bitter substance lactucopicrin, which gives chicory its characteristic bitter taste.

Prepare chicory and enjoy it in a variety of ways

Preparing chicory is easy. First, separate the leaves from the stem. Then remove damaged and wilted leaves. Then wash the chicory and drain well. You can now cut the leaves into strips or use them whole. Of course, chicory can also be cooked whole or halved.

Tip: If you don’t use chicory straight away, you should store the buds in a cool, dark place. This works best wrapped in a kitchen towel in the fridge. This keeps chicory fresh for up to a week – and you can use the vegetables for delicious dishes.

Incidentally, roasting, boiling, stewing, and cooking in the oven reduce the bitter substances in chicory. Refined with spices, salt, or sugar, chicory tastes particularly mild in warm dishes. In our versatile chicory recipes, we reveal how to prepare chicory cold and hot. Discover the varied dishes and try, for example, our colorful chicory salad with orange and rocket. It is ready to serve in just 15 minutes and tastes great with a fresh wholemeal roll with sliced ​​cheese. In the recipe, we will show you step by step how to properly prepare the chicory salad. We wish you a good appetite!