escarole is green endive which has linage from chicory family. it has leafy structure and alternative names like batavian endive, grumolo, scarole used in different parts of the world. it has many Substitutes if that’s what you are looking for to use in different dishes, Common Substitute for Escarole are described below.
its upper part is curly and broad with course leaf type appearance. it leaves tends to have little bit bitter flavor. the outer leaves are more bitter when compared inner leaves which are light green in color. due to its bitter taste i would recommend that you cook it little bit like sautéing it with onion , herbs like rosemary etc., to reduce its bitter taste when adding to different dishes and salads.
escarole comes in summer months so you can store in freezer in plastic bags but if you are out of escarole in your fridge and in market then you need to use one of the below shared escarole substitute to make dish delicious with them. checkout the alternatives to get going with your recipes even when you don’t have escarole at your hands.
Escarole substitutes and alternatives
Arugula
It is also called rocket salad because of its elongated narrow leaves. it is little bit bitter in taste which gives it resemblance to escarole making it a good substitutes for escarole. it is used in vegetable salads, pasta bowls, scrambled eggs dressing or similar dishes.
you can sauté it with garlic, celery, parmesan cheese, olive oil to reduce its bitter flavor and make the taste balanced. some people also add to to grilled chicken salad. it can also be blended to make dip for enjoying with sandwiches and pies.
as far as its nutrition value is concerned, it is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C besides possessing zinc, calcium, potassium and calcium in abundant quantities.
kale
kale looks like cabbage and comes colors like green and purple which have curly shape. it tastes good in salad bowls, soups, casseroles and other such recipes. you can make lot of popular recipes from kale like kale peso, kale chips, kale salad, kale pasta etc. some people also like to add kale in their smoothies to make them healthy and nutritious. taco and sandwich dressing with kale and other veggies, spices and cheese tastes great too.
Its rich in fiber content, iron, vitamin c, vitamin k, along with calcium and other such useful nutrients for our body. you can store the excess kale in your fridge for upto week for its best taste when you intend to eat it after that. once you are ready to eat then you must wash it under running wager before or after cutting to remove any unwanted debris and other elements.
Radicchio
it is purple color cabbage like structure vegetable with white veins on it. it has little bit spicy in flavor and has crispy texture which makes it great for addition to salads of all kinds. you can also add it your your pasta and tacos.
you can also grill or roast it little bit and enjoy it with your grilled food like chicken, pork, potatoes etc. it possesses low amount of calories which makes it good for people looking for weight loss diet. it also have vitamin k and antioxidants in them.
Frisee
it looks like endive. its leaves are long and narrow and curly in nature. it takes little bit bitter. it has rich content of vitamin c, fibers, iron, potassium along with vitamin A. the calories count in frisee is less so people who don’t want to gain weight but eat healthy can also included it in their diet in any form they like. you can eat it with creamy dishes and high calories meal like chicken, other veggies, fish platter, rice etc. to reduce its bitter taste.
it goes well with lot of items including chicken salad, creamy cheesy dips, creamy tacos, veggies salad, yogurt salad, in panini sandwiches, in stir fry vegetables, barbequed meats, roasted potatoes salad and other similar items.
Butterhead lettuce
It is round leaves alternative to escarole which is sweet and buttery in taste and taste good to eat with all kinds of salads. you can use it in burgers and sandwiches to make then little bit crunchy with butterhead lettuce.
it comes packed with vitamin A, C and K along with other useful nutrients like calcium, potassium, magnesium etc.
Spinach
spinach comes out to be a great substitute contender for escarole as it contains lot of essential nutrients just like escarole including vitamin B6, vitamin K, iron etc. the bitterness in spinach is also less than escarole which makes it a good item to add to your salad bowl. you can also make spinach soups, stir fry, curries, spinach tofu gravy and many different tasty recipes with spinach just like escarole.
spinach dips and sauces are quite popular among people who like its taste and want something healthy in their diet. you can make spinach avocado dip, spinach apple dip, spinach marinade for roasting veggies and non veg items like sea food platter etc. spinach quiche and spinach smoothies can also be made in conjunction with other fruits and veggies for great tasting healthy meal which everyone would like to have in morning.
swiss chard
swiss chard is just like leafy spinach with stem of different colors ranging from red, yellow, green to red green. it comes with little bit bitter flavor. it has lot of content of vitamin A along with vitamin C.
i would recommend that you cook it little bit with some salt and spices and vinegar if you like to balance out its bitter taste and get healthy swiss chard for yourself. if you are wondering that weather you can freeze the swiss chard to consume after some time then checkout my post can you freeze swiss chard and enjoy the chard later in salads and other recipes.
you can cook its stems separately than leaves as they are little bit harder and would take some extra time, if you will cook stems and leaves combined than leaves might over cook and get mushy which you don’t want.
Endive
Endive are crispy to eat and possess little bit bitter taste. they have linage from chicory family. it comes with lot of essential body vitamins which makes it good to eat. i would recommend that you roast it and eat like crunchy crackers after sprinkling your favorite herbs on it with dips like cilantro dip, bbq dip etc. else you can sauté it with other veggies to make sir fry or it can be baked also for easy consumption.
Romaine Lettuce
these comes in form of elongated long leaves with crispy texture which makes them perfect to be used in salad and burger patties to place on top of the patty in burger for good taste. some people also like to grill the romaine lettuce to enhance the taste and eat after applying some sauce or marinade on it. it can be sautéed also just like other similar leafy green vegetables including kale, spinach etc. in its category.
It shares the similar nutrition profile with escarole and is available in market throughout the year so it can be replaced in salads and other recipes of your choice if escarole is not found in the market and in your fridge.
in earlier times people started using it for Caesar salad and from then till now the practice is still going head strong as you will find it in every Caesar salad plate in restaurants across the world, so try a Caesar salad recipe at home and enjoy your favorite romaine lettuce for great taste with other accompanying veggies too.
Mustard Greens
mustard greens comes with low calories and are best when eaten raw in salad with your favorite spices, herbs and drizzle of olive oil or your can also chop them use in making stews, vegetable broth, coleslaw, or soups to get best taste. they have little bit bitter taste when compared to kale on little bit spicy side just like your favorite arugula. its peppery and bitter tones can be reduced post cooking it in water, vegetable broth, buttermilk and adding some spices and other items to your recipes for tasty dishes.
to reduce it bitter taste you can enjoy it in recipes which involves cheese and cream like sour cream, heavy cream etc. as it will make them taste better. bread sandwiches dressing with other veggies like cabbage, carrots, tomatoes and mayonnaise and cheese with your choices of herbs and spices including oregano, black pepper etc. makes the panini sandwich great tasting besides being filled with nutrition for our body.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good substitute for escarole in soup?
Their are lot of options to to add in soup when you don’t have escarole with you. escarole substitutes like mustard greens, kale, spinach, chard, green lettuce works great in place of escarole in your soup to make it delicious.
curly endives and kale gives similar flavor to escarole in soup. you can also use green leaf lettuce if you want mild flavor in soup when compared to escarole.
Can you substitute bok choy for escarole?
yes bok choy can be replaced in place of escarole when you don’t have it but it have little bit different flavor when compared to escarole so it might alter the flavor of dish up to certain extent but then it wont matter much if your dish also has delicious ingredients added to it. it is great substitute to escarole to add in your dish if you are running out of escarole and you need something to prepare the dish and serve fast
bok choy is not bitter like escarole and mild flavor which makes it ideal for use in soups, vegetable stir fries, salads and other similar dishes. it is popular addition to many Chinese dishes and you can eat full bok choy from top to bottom as whole piece is edible and it would reduce food wastage if you cut it wisely and eat all of it or add in your dishes.
How to remove bitterness of escarole?
it is very easy to remove and reduce bitter taste of escarole. all you need to do is place the escarole in some hot or warm water for 2-5 minutes and immerse it in cold water in another bowl for 2-3 minutes and the try to eat escarole, you will find out that the bitter taste has considerably reduced due to water with variable temperature as it loses some of its thin outer layer in water which has taste particles in them.
another method to remove the escarole bitterness is by using milk, just immerse the escarole leaves in bowl of milk for about 20-30 minutes and then take out to try, you would be amazed to find that the bitter taste of escarole has gone making it perfect for raw salad platter with other veggies.
What does escarole taste like?
raw escarole have bitter taste in them but with little bit cooking using olive oil, salt it taste improves vastly making it great to it.
Conclusion
now that you know the best substitutes to escarole, you can use any of these in place of escarole when its not in your kitchen and fridge to make tasty dishes and recipes. just need to find out which alternative works best in which different dishes.
since all are green leafy vegetables they are packed with nutrients useful for our body irrespective of which one you choose to add to your meals and diet. so form a habit to consume them on regular basis. if you want to learn about freezing zucchini then we have written detailed guide on it for you to checkout.
let me know which escarole alternative you like best to accompany with which dish in comments below and share this post with all your leafy green vegetables lover friends to help them cook tasty meals with the helps of escarole substitutes.
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