Angie's Recipes . Taste Of Home: Red Belgian Endive Salad with Anchovy Dressing

Thursday, June 18, 2026

Red Belgian Endive Salad with Anchovy Dressing

This crunchy and easy red Belgian endive salad with cantaloupe and baby spinach is made extra special by using umami-packed anchoy in the dressing! The delicately bitter and crispy bite of red Belgian endive leaves balances perfectly with the juicy sweetness of cantaloupe, while toasted walnuts add a satisfying, earthy crunch. It’s perfect for a starter or light lunch. Use radicchio or even white Belgian endives if you can’t find the red one.

Salad	Achovy Dressing
50 g Walnut halves, toasted 3-4 head Red Belgian endives 75 g Baby spinach ½ Cantaloupe, cut in small wedges	1 Garlic clove Sea salt 50 g Tin anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained 1 tbsp White balsamic vinegar 5 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil Freshly milled black pepper

For the dressing, add the garlic to a mortar with a good pinch of salt, then crush to a fine paste using a pestle. Add the drained anchovies and grind down until the anchovies are a pulp. Add the white balsamic, mix, then slowly add the olive oil so the dressing is emulsified. Pour the dressing into a large salad bowl.
Add the walnuts to a dry frying pan and toast over a medium heat until fragrant and a deeper shade of brown, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool slightly.
Cut off the base of the Belgian endive, then separate the leaves and place into a bowl of cold water. Dry in a salad spinner or blot gently with kitchen paper. Submerge the baby spinach in a bowl of cold water, gently swish them to loosen dirt, and lift them out. Dry them thoroughly with a salad spinner.
Just before serving, add all the leaves to the salad bowl, along with the cantaloupe wedges and toasted walnuts, then gently toss together so everything is well-coated in the dressing. Season with salt and black pepper, if needed, and serve.