Eat Chicory

Harvest chicory is often used for Make Chicory Coffee, however there are other culinary uses for wild or homegrown chicory. Chicory leaves can be eaten raw, or cooked to reduce bitterness. Blanched or “forced” chicory – sometimes referred to as “chicons” – is pale, tightly bunched, crisp, and less bitter. Chicory leaves blend well with flavorful salads. The plant’s roots can be roasted and ground, to brew as a beverage or use as a healthy food additive.

Steps

Removing Bitterness

1. Rinse and drain the chicory. Rinse chicory leaves over a sieve under running water. Pour the leaves onto paper towels or a clean work surface. Sort through the pile and remove any dead leaves or grass. Rinse the chicory leaves again, then allow any excess water to drain.
   • You can also sort through the leaves to pick out debris as you’re rinsing them.
   • You can use this same process to remove bitterness from chicory root. Scrub the root clean with a vegetable brush.
2. Boil the leaves for about two minutes. Bring a pot of water to a boil over medium to high heat. Drop the leaves in the boiling water and allow them to cook. Use a sieve to pour out and discard the water, keeping the leaves.
   • If you don’t mind some bitterness, you may prefer to stop cooking the leaves after this first boil.
   • Chicory leaves are the least bitter in early spring, and increase in bitterness throughout the growing season. They will be more bitter if the growing conditions are poor.
3. Change the water and boil the leaves for five minutes. Return the leaves to the pot. Add fresh water to the pot, and bring it to a boil. After five minutes, remove from heat and drain the water, collecting the leaves in a sieve.
   • Blanched leaves can have a slight bitterness also, so you may want to boil them twice to remove the bitter flavor.
   • If you want to remove all bitterness for unblanched leaves, continue on to a third boil.
4. Boil the leaves once more, for five minutes. Dump the leaves back into the pot. Pour fresh water into the pot. Bring the water to a boil. After five minutes, turn off the heat. Drain the leaves in a sieve over the sink. Add the cooked leaves to a recipe of your choosing; for instance, you can braise them in butter, or add them to a salad.
   • Chicory leaves that haven’t been blanched are more bitter, so to remove bitterness completely you’ll want to boil them three times.
   • Use a few trial leaves, if desired. Cook one leave once, one leave twice, and the third through all three boils. See which one you prefer before cooking all the leaves.

Braising Chicory

1. Use fresh or pre-boiled leaves. Rinse the leaves thoroughly. If you want to reduce or remove bitterness, go through the process of boiling the leaves first.
2. Combine the ingredients in a saucepan of water. Pour about half an inch (13 mm) of water into a saucepan. Dump the clean leaves into the water. Add salt, butter or margarine, and lemon juice.
   • Chicory leaves can also be braised with bacon.
3. Cook and serve the leaves. Simmer the ingredients gently for about 45 minutes. Serve the dish hot, with the juice included.

Using Leaves for Salad

1. Select and wash the leaves. Choose young leaves, six to eight inches (fifteen to twenty centimeters) long. You can also use crown bases, boiled at least once (for five minutes). Rinse the leaves under running water, and discard any dead leaves or debris. Let the leaves drain or pat them dry with paper towels.
2. Make a shrimp and arugula salad. Heat 1/4 cup (60 mL) olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sautee a tablespoon (10 g) minced garlic, one chopped onion, and 1/4 cup (40 g) chopped scallions. Cook for three minutes, stirring constantly. Add the shrimp, and sautee for two minutes, then stir in seasonings. Remove from heat, and add vinegar, lemon juice, and one bunch of washed chicory.
   • Use 1/2 to 3/4 pound (150 to 230 g) of cooked, shelled, and deveined shrimp.
   • Try seasoning with three tablespoons (30 g) chopped parsley and a tablespoon (10 g) chopped cilantro.
   • Use three tablespoons (40 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice and two tablespoons (30 mL) rice vinegar.
3. Try a warm salad with eggs. Sautee onion in a large saucepan with 1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) salt over medium heat for five minutes. Stir in chicory and garlic, cooking until tender (about ten minutes). Break four large eggs into the pan. Place a lid on the pan and reduce heat to low. Cook five to seven minutes, until the whites are cooked and the yolks are a bit runny.
   • Use a medium-sized red onion (halved and sliced), a pound (450 g) of chicory (rinsed and chopped), and four cloves of minced garlic.
   • Scoop up each egg with some greens. Sprinkle the tops with Romano cheese, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
4. Make an avocado salad with lime vinaigrette. In a bowl, mix together six tablespoons (90 mL) olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) salt, two tablespoons (30 mL) lime juice, a pinch of cayenne, and a clove of minced garlic. Coat avocado slices in the mixture. Place chicory on each plate with avocado. On top, add onion, cilantro, and dressing.
   • Use two large avocados, peeled, seeded, and halved. Slice each half into six layers.
   • Serve immediately or chilled from the refrigerator.
   • The mild creaminess of avocado balances out the bitter component of chicory.
5. Add cooked or raw chicory to any salad. Try steaming unblanched chicory and serving it warm with butter. Alternately, fry blanched chicory with butter. You can also add raw chicory leaves to any tossed salad.
   • Slice a bunch of blanched chicory in half lengthwise. Put each half cut-side down in a large frying pan with butter. Cook the chicory on low heat for about fifteen minutes, turning once.
   • Try serving chicory as a side salad to go with fish or roast chicken.

Roasting Chicory Roots

1. Wash and slice the roots. Scrub the roots with a vegetable brush under running water until the roots are clean. Place the clean roots on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut off the ends, discarding any unusable portion of the roots. Slice the usable root into thick slices or chunks.
   • The usable portion of the roots should be about nine to ten inches (23 to 25 cm).
2. Roast the root for about one hour. Heat your oven to medium low, about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}. Place the slices on foil, in a baking dish, or on a cookie sheet. Cook them until they turn brown.
3. Grind the cooled roots. Use a strong grinder to process the roots to a consistency similar to coffee grounds. Use the ground, roasted roots in food or beverages. Store ground chicory root in a refrigerator or dry, cool place for up to a year.
   • Try adding ground chicory root to a recipe for energy bars. You can also mix ground, cooked chicory root into yogurt or cottage cheese, to add fiber and texture.
4. Brew ground chicory alone or with ground coffee. Use one teaspoon (5 mL) chicory to one tablespoon (14 g) of coffee grounds. Alternately, brew a tablespoon (14 g) per cup (240 mL) of chicory roots alone for a healthy, hot drink without caffeine!

Tips

• The bitter elements in edible plants offer a variety of health benefits, such as helping to prevent chronic diseases. You can train your palate to enjoy such strong flavoring by eating plants like chicory washed and fresh!

Sources and Citations

See also

• Make Vanilla Sugar
• Make Oregano Olive Oil
• Make Italian Seasoned Chicken
• Chop Basil Leaves
• Eat Wood Sorrel
• Use Ginseng Root
• Eat Purslane
• Eat Kudzu
• Eat Heartsease
• Eat Lamb's Quarters

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