Quick Answer: How To Cook Escarole Italian Style?

How do you get the bitterness out of escarole?

Add a touch of lemon juice or vinegar to the dish. Acids, such as vinegar or vinegary sauces, counter the bitterness in escarole. Lemon juice counters the bitterness while brightening a dish’s flavors. You can also use lime juice or tomatoes.

How do you clean and cook escarole?

Yup, unlike some other veggies that take little or no time to prep and rinse clean, I mentally have to prepare myself when I’m about to cook escarole. It requires time to chop it and clean it properly, washing it upwards of 4 times in cold water before I feel it’s perfectly clean and sand-free to start cooking it.

Does escarole need to be cooked?

You can enjoy it raw or cook with it; braise, grill, or sauté escarole. Tear it into pieces and add to soups, such as minestrone or a white bean stew.

What part of escarole do you eat?

Escarole’s dark green outer leaves are tough, with a pronounced bitterness that’s a great addition to soups, stews, sautés, or wilted into pasta. The inner leaves of escarole are mild, with a tender, palatable texture—good for adding into mixed green salads or sandwiches.

Why is my escarole soup bitter?

Escarole is a bitter green that is part of the endive family. Its bitter flavor is one of its characteristics, but the bitterness is mild. The key to cooking escarole and reducing the bitter flavor is to ensure you do not overcook it. It is a popular ingredient in soup but can be eaten as is, sauteed with some garlic.

What is sauteed escarole?

The focus today is sauteeing escarole (previously parboiled) with garlic and red pepper flakes in extra virgin olive oil. You will be pleasantly surprised to taste how much flavor combining these 4 ingredients have. As is usually the case when so few ingredients are used, make sure they are of high quality.

What are the benefits of escarole?

Escarole is a member of the endive family. It’s less bitter than kale or chard, and it’s high in folate, fiber, and vitamins A and K.

How long is cooked escarole good for?

To maximize the shelf life of escarole, refrigerate in a tightly closed plastic bag and do not wash the escarole until ready to eat. How long does escarole last in the refrigerator? Properly stored, escarole will usually keep well for about 3 to 5 days in the fridge.

Is escarole a diuretic?

It’s also a rich source of dietary fiber, magnesium and potassium. Escarole’s other benefits include reduced glucose levels, improved eyesight, stimulation of digestive enzymes, improved skin health and it acts as a natural diuretic. We harvest our escarole as babies.

Can I eat escarole raw?

You can eat escarole raw in salads or cook it in a variety of ways, including sautéing and grilling. Adding acids will tone down its bitterness, as will cooking it.

What can be substituted for escarole?

Escarole Substitutes Spinach. Let’s start with the superfood, spinach. Arugula. Arugula has a distinct bitterness to it, similar to that of escarole. Radicchio. This is sometimes referred to as the Italian sibling of chicory. Kale. Kale is not as bitter as escarole or our previous substitutes on this list. Chard. Mustard Greens.

What can you use instead of escarole lettuce?

Good Substitutes For Escarole: Good Substitutes For Escarole: 1.) Spinach. Let’s start this discussion with probably the most flexible substitute out of the bunch. Spinach can be cooked, baked, and served as a side dish. 3.) Radicchio. 4.) Chard. 5.) Mustard Greens. 6.) Kale. 7.) Frisée. 8.) Romaine Lettuce.

What’s the difference between endive and escarole?

Curly endive and escarole are both chicories of the same species. These two slightly bitter-tasting leafy greens can be eaten raw in winter or spring salads or added to soups where their tastes become mild. Curly endive has narrow, finely cut, curly leaves. Escarole has smooth, rounded, broad leaves.

What does escarole lettuce look like?

Escarole is leafier than kale, and is usually sold in bunches that look a lot like a head of lettuce, with short, wide, wavy-edged leaves. The color and texture of the leaves varies—those on the outside are darker-green and a bit tougher, while the interior leaves are pale-yellow and more tender.

How do you make lettuce taste less bitter?

If you would like to give this a try, separate the lettuce leaves, put them in a bowl of cold water and add a small amount of baking soda. Let the leaves soak about five to 10 minutes, rinse thoroughly in cold water and then soak them again for a few more minutes.