5 from 3 votes

Braised Escarole – lovely green escarole braised with olive oil, garlic, red pepper, and lemon juice. A great way to enjoy greens in the winter months.

In the south, we really enjoy our greens. Particularly the winter greens.

Lovely green escarole braised with olive oil, garlic, red pepper, and lemon juice. https://www.lanascooking.com/braised-escarole

When I was growing up, practically everyone I knew planted at least a small patch of turnips, mustards, or collards to enjoy throughout the cold months. They were easy to grow and survived through the winter becoming even tastier once they passed through a frost.

Winter greens are leafy green vegetables, most closely related to cabbage and include chard, rapini, and kale. They’re typically high in folic acid and rich in vitamins A and K.

They’re all delicious (though I will admit that I’m not crazy about kale) and can be used in many different ways – slow cooked and seasoned with pork in the old-fashioned southern way, or in salads and soups. One of the least used and one of my favorites is escarole.

Escarole is actually a variety of endive but has loose, broad, pale green leaves and is less bitter than other endive varieties. My favorite way to cook escarole is by braising.

My Braised Escarole is cooked quickly in olive oil with garlic and red pepper flakes then allowed to steam until wilted and totally delicious. I finish it with a little squeeze of lemon juice.

Braised Escarole is a fantastic side dish for chicken or fish or even served as a warm salad before your meal. I hope you’ll grab a head of escarole next time you’re at the grocery store and give this delicious and healthy recipe a try soon.

How to Make Braised Escarole

Prepare the escarole.

Remove the core and separate the leaves. Place the leaves in a sink of cold water. Swish the leaves vigorously to loosen any sand. Let the leaves sit for a few minutes until the sand settles to the bottom of the sink.

Remove the leaves and dry in a salad spinner or drain on a kitchen towel.

Saute garlic and red pepper flakes in olive oil

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic, red and black pepper and sauté for about a minute being careful not to let the garlic burn.

Add the drained escarole leaves and toss until the leaves are coated with oil and beginning to wilt. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet and braise for 4-5 minutes, stirring several times.

Remove from heat and add the salt and lemon. Stir or toss to incorporate the salt and lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Makes two servings.

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