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Vegetarian, Northern, Eastern and Western France

Belgian endive salad with mimolette, walnuts and potatoes

This Belgian endive salad with mimolette, walnuts, and potatoes is a complete dish from northern France, serving 4, ready in 30 minutes. Very easy and budget friendly at €2.30 per person, it works because the potatoes are dressed while still warm, so they soak up the mustard and walnut oil vinaigrette.

Tonight, a big salad from northern France, crunchy and warm at the same time, with aged mimolette that has real character.

Belgian endive salad with mimolette, walnuts and potatoes
Total time
30 min
Difficulty
Very easy
Cost per person
€2.30
Calories per person
670 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall, Spring

This salad combines the crunch of raw endive, the softness of warm potatoes, and the crispness of chopped walnuts. Aged mimolette brings a bold, almost salty and caramelized flavor that cuts through the mild bitterness of the endive. It's a balance of textures as much as flavors, built to never taste flat despite how simple it is.

It's a northern French salad to make on a weeknight when you want a complete meal without turning on the oven for long, or a light Sunday lunch before a richer dessert. It mostly appeals to adults who like bold flavors, less of a sure thing for kids because of the endive's bitterness and the aged mimolette's strong character.

The ingredients

4 people

Fruits and vegetables

  • Potatoes 700 g
  • Belgian endive 600 g
  • Shallot 1
  • Chives 1 sprigs

Dairy

  • Aged mimolette 150 g

Pantry

  • Walnuts 60 g
  • Mustardoften in the pantry 2 tsp
  • Wine vinegaroften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Walnut oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Lactose, Tree nuts, Mustard

The step by step recipe

  1. Cook the potatoes with their skin on in salted water. 20 min

    Poke them with the tip of a knife, they're ready when the blade slides in easily.

  2. Make the vinaigrette with the mustard, vinegar, walnut oil, minced shallot, salt, and pepper.

    Let the shallot sit in the vinegar for five minutes, it loses its sharp bite.

  3. Peel the warm potatoes, slice them into rounds, and drizzle with the vinaigrette.

    Peel them with a paring knife, they're easier to peel warm than cold.

  4. Slice the endive thinly, cut the mimolette into small cubes, and roughly chop the walnuts.

    Choose aged or extra aged mimolette, it's drier and more flavorful.

  5. Mix all the ingredients together, sprinkle with chives, and serve right away.

    Set aside a few whole walnuts for garnish, they always look good on top.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick firm, pale endives without green leaf tips to avoid overly sharp bitterness.
  • Chop the walnuts at the last minute, they lose their crunch quickly once exposed to air.
  • Serve this salad warm rather than cold, the flavors of the mimolette and walnut oil come through better at room temperature.

The variations

  • Swap the mimolette for aged comté if you prefer a milder, less salty flavor.
  • Add a handful of pan fried bacon bits for a richer, less strictly vegetarian version.
  • For kids, slice the endive more finely and cut the bitterness by removing the hard core from each head before slicing.

What to serve it with

  • A slice of toasted country bread
  • A glass of sparkling apple juice
  • A light soup to start

Storage

This salad keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container, though the endive will lose some of its crunch over time. It doesn't freeze well. Let it sit out for ten minutes before serving to bring back a bit of the original warm texture.

Questions about this dish

Can you make this endive salad ahead of time?

You can cook the potatoes and make the vinaigrette a few hours ahead. Mix in the endive, mimolette, and walnuts only at the last moment to keep everything crunchy.

Which mimolette works best for this recipe?

Choose aged or extra aged mimolette, it's drier and has a bolder flavor than young mimolette. That's what gives the salad its character.

How do you remove the bitterness from endive?

Cut out the hard, cone shaped core at the base of each head, that's where most of the bitterness sits. Also pick heads that are pale all over, without green tips.

Can you use a different oil instead of walnut oil?

Yes, hazelnut oil works just as well and keeps that toasted nut flavor. A mild olive oil works in a pinch but changes the character of the dish a bit.

How long does it take to make a Belgian endive salad with mimolette, walnuts and potatoes?

Count 30 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “very easy”.

How many calories are in a Belgian endive salad with mimolette, walnuts and potatoes?

About 670 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Belgian endive salad with mimolette, walnuts and potatoes cost?

About €2.30 per serving, or €9.20 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains lactose, tree nuts, mustard. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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