26 Best Ways to Use Chicory: Recipes to Try Right Now

Famous for being used in Italian cuisine and New Orleans coffee, chicory has developed quite a reputation. It's no wonder why, since its unique, subtly nutty, slightly bitter flavor complements and enhances the flavors of so many dishes.

Whether you love chicory or have just been introduced to it, you have to try these 26 mind-blowing, mouth-watering chicory recipes that are perfect for the wintertime!

Chicory Salad Recipes

This season, pair chicory with other delicious winter vegetables for unforgettable warm and wintery flavors.

Chicory and Apple Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

Credit: Oh My Dish

Not only is this chicory and apple salad with buttermilk dressing one of the most beautiful salads I've ever seen, but it's also super tasty, with refreshingly crispy chicory and apples and a decadent buttermilk dressing. This is an incredible winter salad, but you'll love it so much you'll want to eat it all year long.

Fennel Salad with Chicory, Orange, and Pomegranate

Credit: vegan.io

This fennel salad with chicory, orange, and pomegranate is a great example of how flavorful vegan food can be! This super easy salad balances the strong flavors of citrusy oranges, sweet pomegranates, finely-chopped fennel, and subtly bitter chicory perfectly, making one superb salad.

Chicory Salad with Herb Vinaigrette

Credit: Olive Magazine

Although I love salads loaded with flavors and ingredients, there is something to be said for the deliciousness of super-simple salads, like this chicory salad with herb vinaigrette. To make it, all you need is white wine vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, soft herbs such as parsley or chives, and chicory. The simple, fresh flavors make this the perfect side salad.

Steak Salad with Chicory, Curried Chickpeas, and Apples

Steak Salad with Chicory, Curried Chickpeas, Walnuts & Apples

Credit: Blue Apron

Although this recipe for a steak salad with chicory, curried chickpeas, and apples is one of the more complex salads on this list, its decadent and delicious taste makes it well worth the work. The sweetness of chicory is brought out by the apples and caramelized onions, while the curried chickpeas and steak add some savory flavors to this salad.

Chicory Pasta & Rice Recipes

Chicory is incredibly popular in Italian cooking, and these pasta dishes make clear why. The subtly bitter and nutty taste of chicory adds depth to these particularly delicious pasta and rice dishes.

Grilled Chicory and Walnut Risotto

chicory risotto walnuts recipe olive magazine

Credit: Olive Magazine

I love devouring warm, creamy risotto on cold winter nights, so naturally, I'm a huge fan of this grilled chicory and walnut risotto, which takes my classic risotto up-a-notch flavor-wise. This dish features walnuts and grilled chicory, which add a pleasant crunch and nuttiness to the risotto. This dish is extremely easy to make, taking only around 35 minutes.

Orecchiette with Sausage and Chicory

Credit: Food Wine

It's hard to imagine a dish that's more divine than this savory orecchiette with sausage and chicory. The subtle spiciness, sharp pecorino, spicy red pepper, sweet sausage, and slightly bitter chicory all come together for this perfect winter meal.

Pork and Fennel Meatball Strozzapreti

Credit: Gourmet Traveler

This homey pork and fennel meatball strozzapreti, while somewhat complex and time-consuming to make, is so good that it's worth it. Savory pork shoulder mixed with braised chicory, salted chilis, and fresh strozzapreti pasta? Sign me up. Pair it with a sprinkling of parmesan and crunchy bread to round out the meal.

Curly Endive with Spaghetti

Credit: Serena Bakes

This simple curly endive with spaghetti recipe will become your family's new favorite meal! It's extremely easy and quick to make and has delicious flavors like sauteed onions, melted parmesan, a dash of lemon juice, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and perfectly boiled chicory.

Chicory Soup Recipes

Settle down in a big armchair next to a roaring fire with these wonderfully warming winter chicory soups!

Chicory and Cannellini Bean Soup

Credit: All Recipes

Are you looking for a filling, flavorful soup? Try this chicory and cannellini bean soup recipe! It's packed with protein and delicious flavors. The soup's rich broth contains garlic, tomatoes, herbs, and stewed chicory that will melt in your mouth.

Zucchini and Chicory Soup

COURGETTE AND CHICORY SOUP — OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Credit: More Than Just Carrots

Oh no, dinnertime has arrived, and you have nothing planned. Don't worry; you can whip up this stupidly simple zucchini and chicory soup in no time. Seriously this soup only contains four ingredients—zucchini, chicory, shallots, and vegetable stock—but is simply satisfying.

Chicory Soup with Barley and Lemon

Credit: Letty's Kitchen

Not only will this chicory soup with barley and lemon appease your appetite, but it also looks beautiful, with a medley of gorgeously colored veggies. Radicchio ribbons, chicory, and a slightly citrusy and spicy relish are added to an aromatic broth. After they stew together, add a dollop of tangy cream on top to finish off this gorgeous meal.

The Original Italian "Wedding Soup"

Credit: Memorie di Angelina

I love Italian wedding soup, so I've tried many different iterations of it, but this recipe for The Original Italian "Wedding Soup" is one of the tastiest I've ever seen. With plenty of savory meats, some delicious winter vegetables, and cheese to top it off, this soup makes a filling winter meal.

Chicory Stir Fry Recipes

Chicory is perfect for stir-fries, adeptly picking up the flavors it's sautéed in and adding some depth to stir fry dishes as a whole with its slightly nutty and bitter taste.

Simple Stir-Fried Chicory

Credit: Tasty Asia

For a super simple stir-fried side dish, try making this stir-fried chicory recipe. It melds and mixes traditional flavors like garlic, chicory, pepper, ginger, and ponzu sauce. The chicory absorbs those flavors and has its bitterness mellowed out, making a mouthwateringly delicious dish.

Stir-Fried Chicory with Chicken and Oyster Sauce

Credit: Recipe Guide

This stir-fried chicory with chicken and oyster sauce recipe includes many traditional stir fry flavors in the above dish. It adds in tangy oyster sauce, savory sautéed chicken chopped zucchini, and a citrusy twist.

Stir-Fry Chicory with Olive and Anchovies

Credit: Good Italian Recipes

Have you ever had Italian stir fry? Trust me, after you try this stir-fry chicory with olive and anchovies recipe, all of your doubts will be assuaged. This salty stir fry deliciously pairs chicory, olives, and anchovies, melding strong flavors that go perfectly together.

Roasted Chicory Recipes

One of my favorite ways to cook chicory is roasting it because its bitterness becomes downplayed while its nuttiness and sweetness are brought out. I also love the satisfying crunch of well-roasted chicory.

Caramelized Roast Chicory

Credit: Olive Magazine

I always like to keep it simple when it comes to vegetable side dishes, like this caramelized roast chicory recipe. The brown sugar and vinegar coasting on the chicory caramelizes it giving it a rich flavor and moisture that's especially satisfying when juxtaposed with the chicory's outer-crunch.

Chicory Roasted with Thyme and Bacon

Credit: BBC Good Food

If you want to make something taste better, adding bacon to it is a pretty surefire way to do so. This chicory roasted with thyme and bacon recipe reflects that. The saltiness and savoriness of it are satisfying, yet this dish is rather simple to make.

Roasted Chicory with Honey, Mustard, and Thyme

Credit: River Cottage

Suppose you're a fan of bruschetta or sweetly roasted vegetables. In that case, you'll love this roasted chicory with honey, mustard, and thyme recipe, which makes a deliciously sweet side dish or bruschetta topping. Sweetness, tanginess, and saltiness are all blended in this decadent dish.

Braised Chicory

Credit: Delicious Magazine

This flavor-packed braised chicory is extremely easy to make but so so good. With chicory, butter, white wine, vegetable stock, and parsley, you don't need a lot to whip up this simple side, but it will give you a lot back through its rich, savory flavor.

Italian Chicory Recipes

Italians love using chicory in their recipes, whether it's homey soups, decadent plates of pasta, or refreshing salads. Chicory pairs perfectly with so many traditional Italian ingredients.

Puntarelle Italian Chicory Salad

Credit: Fine Dining Lovers

This unique puntarelle Italian chicory salad is full of deliciously salty and spicy ingredients. There are chicory leaves, a garlicky sauce, salty anchovies, and a pinch of spicy red chili. This salad is quick to whip up but sure to impress.

Chicory Ravioli with Fig, Lemon, and Greens

Credit: Great Italian Chefs

This exquisite and elegant chicory ravioli with fig, lemon, and greens defines comfort food cuisine. The buckwheat flour dough is filled with ricotta and chicory and then fried until it's golden brown. The salty, slightly bitter ravioli is completed with a sweet fig puree.

Sautéed Chicory Greens Southern Italian Style

Credit: Mediterranean Living

While these sautéed chicory greens are supposed to be a side dish, they'll steal the show at whatever meal you serve them with. These sauteed greens incorporate all of the best traditional Italian flavors and ingredients with capers, anchovies, chili flakes, oil, and pine nuts.

Chicory Drink and Dessert Recipes

As a New Orleans resident, I can testify: you've been making your coffee the wrong way this whole time. Chicory coffee is insanely delicious and easy to make. Just check out the fantastic recipes below.

New Orleans Coffee

With a rich chocolate-caramel flavor, low caffeine content, and heavenly smell, this New Orleans coffee will become your new favorite coffee. With just coffee, chicory, salt, water, and a bit of sugar, this coffee is super simple but supremely satisfying.

Chicory Latte

Credit: Hormones & Balance

This chicory latte takes the decadence of chicory coffee up a notch. It's slightly sweeter but just as delicious. It is roasted chicory, roasted dandelion root, water, coconut butter, pitted dates, nutmeg, and a scoop of collagen. You'll love this sweet but fairly healthy latte.

Chicory Mocha

Credit: Homespun Seasonal Living

If you love chocolatey coffee but aren't a fan of the caffeine, then step right up. This chicory mocha is the perfect brew for you. Savor this sweet beverage in the morning or sip it at night as a pre-bed dessert.

Chicory Chunk Coffee Ice Cream

Credit: Scoop Adventures

My favorite ice cream flavor of all time is coffee ice cream, so I'm in love with this chicory chunk coffee ice cream recipe. The chicory adds roasted maple-like notes to this sweet slightly-bitter ice cream that will become your new favorite frozen treat.