Ingredients:

  • 4 cups packed chopped escarole substitute greens (e.g., romaine lettuce, curly endive/frisée, green leaf lettuce, baby kale) (~120 g)
  • 1 tsp olive oil (5 ml) (optional for flavour adjustments)
  • Juice of ½ lemon (~1 tbsp / 15 ml) (optional for flavour adjustments)
  • Pinch of sea salt or kosher salt to taste (optional for flavour adjustments)

Instructions:

  1. Choose your escarole substitute such as romaine lettuce for a milder taste, curly endive/frisée for bitterness, or green leaf lettuce or baby kale for texture.
  2. Wash the greens thoroughly to remove grit, spin dry or pat dry with a kitchen towel, and chop roughly into bite-size pieces.
  3. Adjust the flavour by adding a squeeze of lemon juice or dash of vinegar for brightness if using milder substitutes, or mix in radicchio or dandelion greens for more bitterness.
  4. Cook or use raw: for soups or sautéed dishes, cook the substitute greens as you would escarole, adjusting cook time as some cook faster; for salads, toss with your favourite dressing.
  5. Taste before serving and adjust salt, acid, or seasoning to balance the flavour.