Endive Nutrition Facts
Endive, commonly popular as escarole, is a green leafy-vegetable with a hint of bitter flavor. Nevertheless, this well-known salad plant is much more than just a leafy green, packed with numerous health benefiting plant nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin A, etc.
Botanically, this perennial herbaceous leafy plant belongs to the Asteraceae (daisy) family, in the genus,Cichorium, and is closely related to chicory, radicchio, and Belgian endive (witloof). Its scientific name:Cichorium endivia.
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| Endive- flat leaf variety (escarole). Note for semi blanched broad, spine like dentate margin leaves. | Belgian endive-witloof. Note for creamy white, compact leaves. |
Endive is native to Asia Minor region. This cool-season crop requires well-drained fertile soil to flourish. There are two main cultivar varieties exist: curly-endive (Frisée, cichorium endivia, var crispum) with curly narrow leaves, and Escarole or scarole (cichorium endivia, var latifolia) with broad leaves. Escarole leaves have spine like-dentate margins (dandelion or lettuce like) with thick stalks. Its leaves feature less bitterness than narrow, curly, intensely bitter-taste of "frisée" (curly-endive).
Belgian endive or witloof is a popular winter season vegetable in Europe. It is a type of vegetable with smooth cream-colored leaves compressed into a compact (bud-like) 10 to 12 cm long heads.
Health benefits of Endive
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Endive is one of the very low calorie leafy vegetables. 100 g fresh leaves carry just 17 calories; however, it contributes about 8% of daily-required intake (DRI) of fiber.
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Current research studies suggest that high inulin and fiber content in escarole help reduce glucose and LDL-cholesterol levels in diabetes and obese patients.
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Endive is enriched with good amount Vitamin A and ß-carotene. Both these compounds are known to have antioxidant properties. Carotenes convert to vitamin A inside the human body. Furthermore, vitamin-A is required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. In addition, it is also essential vitamin for good eye-sight. Consumption of natural vegetables/greens rich in vitamin-A helps to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
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Further, it contains good amounts of many essential B-complex groups of vitamins such as folic acid, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), pyridoxine (vitamin B6) and thiamin (vitamin B1), niacin (B3). These vitamins are essential in the sense that human body requires them through external sources to replenish and employ in fat, protein, and carbohydrate metabolism.
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Additionally, escarole is a good source of minerals like manganese, copper, iron, and potassium. Manganese is used as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Potassium is an important intracellular electrolyte helps counter the hypertension effects of sodium.
| Principle | Nutrient Value | Percentage of RDA |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 17 Kcal | <1% |
| Carbohydrates | 3.35 g | 2.5% |
| Protein | 1.25 g | 2% |
| Total Fat | 0.20 g | 1% |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber | 3.10 g | 8% |
| Vitamins | ||
| Folates | 142 µg | 36% |
| Niacin | 0.400 mg | 2.5% |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.900 mg | 18% |
| Pyridoxine | 0.020 mg | 1.5% |
| Riboflavin | 0.075 mg | 6% |
| Thiamin | 0.080 mg | 7% |
| Vitamin A | 2167 IU | 72% |
| Vitamin C | 6.5 mg | 11% |
| Vitamin E | 0.44 mg | 3% |
| Vitamin K | 231 µg | 192% |
| Electrolytes | ||
| Sodium | 22 mg | 1.5% |
| Potassium | 314 mg | 7% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 52 mg | 5% |
| Copper | 0.099 mg | 11% |
| Iron | 0.83 mg | 10% |
| Magnesium | 15 mg | 4% |
| Manganese | 0.420 mg | 18% |
| Phosphorus | 28 mg | 4% |
| Selenium | 0.2 mcg | <1% |
| Zinc | 0.79 mg | 7% |
| Phyto-nutrients | ||
| Carotene-ß | 1300 µg | -- |
| Carotene-α | 0 µg | -- |
| Cryptoxanthin-ß | 0 µg | -- |
| Lutein-zeaxanthin | 0 µg | -- |
Selection and storage
Fresh endive is available all around the year in the markets. Choose crispy, tender leafy tops. Avoid tough, yellow discolored leaves.
Store greens in plastic bag inside refrigerator. It will stay fresh for 3-4 days.
Preparation and serving methods
Wash fresh endive in cool running water. Discard yellow or any discolored leaves. Remove tough lower ends. Chop the leaves using paring knife.
Curly endive is generally available in the stores as blanched pale "frisée". Blanching removes bitterness from the leaves and enhances their flavor. Blanching is generally done by avoiding sunlight. Cover the plants for 2-4 weeks with inverted bushel baskets or plastic plates.
Wash them thoroughly in cold water before use. Trim the stem end with a sharp knife.
Here are some serving tips:
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| Escarole bean soup. Photo courtesy: Lisa Williams |
Belgian endive, avocado-couscous salad. Photo courtesy:Lablascovegmenu. |
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Frisée especially features in popular French salad Lyonnaise.
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Escarole is used in salads, soups (escarole-bean soup) and in sautéed recipes.
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Witloof is used raw in salads or braised and served as a vegetable.
Safety profile
Endive is widely consumed all over Europe and in some American states. Although this green leafy vegetable contains high concentrations of bitter glycosides and inulin, no known side effects so far notified when eaten in moderate quantities.
