Have You Tried Escarole?
by Adina Steiman
Even if you’re not already a fan of escarole, you’ve probably already seen it at the market—you just probably mistook it for a particularly robust (and maybe slightly wilted-looking?) head of green-leaf lettuce.
But escarole’s hardly a one-note, bland salad green. Like kale and spinach, it’s equally at home raw in salad and cooked in soups and stews. And its unique flavor makes it ridiculously delicious no matter which road you choose to take. Here’s how to get the most from this hearty (but slightly disingenuous) green.
Why you should use it in salads. If you snuck a taste of escarole at the market, expecting green-leaf lettuce’s bland taste and delicate texture, you’d be in for a welcome surprise. Escarole has a subtle bite and a resilient texture that makes it the ideal green for robust salads like this version from New York chef Ignacio Mattos with a horseradish and caper dressing, above.
Why it’s actually delicious when wilted. Of course, we mean the kind of wilting that happens when fresh, cool greens meet a hot pan (or just hot oil). In this wilted escarole salad from Amanda Hesser, olive oil is sizzled with anchovies, garlic, and red-pepper flakes before being poured directly over torn escarole. The green wilts slightly as you toss it, transforming into a deliciously indecisive blend of crunchy and tender.
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Why it’s perfect for the start of soup season. Comforting soups and stews usually already have plenty of richness: from slow-simmered meat, from starchy potatoes or beans, from sauteed aromatics. But what they usually lack is a kick of freshness that brings the whole thing into balance. That’s where the delicate bite of escarole comes in. Add chopped escarole to pretty much any fall soup, like this Toasted Spelt Soup with Escarole and White Beans, in the last few minutes of cooking, and you’ll give your soup a welcome bite—and a lovely hit of green.
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