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Home » Course » Side Dishes » Italian Sauteed Chicory Greens

Italian Sauteed Chicory Greens

By: Rosemary Published: January 17, 2023 Updated on: January 17, 2023

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This traditional Italian recipe for Sauteed Chicory Greens, makes a simple quick and easy side dish. Cooked Greens sauteed in olive oil, garlic and a sprinkle of salt. The perfect healthy addition to any meal! And so good!

Chicory in a black pan.

Living in Italy I have discovered so many vegetables that I never imagined I would eat and others that I didn’t even know existed. And naturally I was introduced to them by my Mother-in-law.

Table of Contents

  • Recipe Ingredients
  • What do Chicory Greens Taste like?
  • What is Chicory?
  • How to make Sauteed Chicory Greens
      • Never Miss a Recipe!
  • Are Chicory greens good for you?
  • How to serve them
  • How to store Chicory Greens
  • How to freeze Chicory
  • More Italian Side Dishes
  • Italian Sauteed Chicory Greens
    • Ingredients  1x2x3x
      • EXTRAS
    • Instructions 
    • Notes
    • Nutrition

Recipe Ingredients

  • Chicory
  • Olive oil
  • Garlic
  • Salt
  • Hot pepper flakes – optional
Ingredients for the recipe.

What do Chicory Greens Taste like?

Some types can be bitter with a spicy taste, but once it is cooked it does mellow out. Some are tasty without a bitter taste that can be tossed in a salad. I like to mix it with some lettuce and rucola.

What is Chicory?

Chicory in Italian is called cicoria, which can be planted or is picked in the middle of patches of grass. There are many varieties of chicory greens and they are also known as Italian dandelion greens, escarole or curly endive. Radicchio is also considered a type of chicory but is often mistaken for cabbage or lettuce.

A bunch of chicory greens.

You really have to know what you are looking for when you are picking it in the open, because what you think may be chicory might not be, that being said, my mother-in-law has been known to search for cicoria in the pouring rain! Is it worth it? Well, there really is nothing like wild chicory.

Although later in life she just stuck to planting her own!

Greens in a white plate.

How to make Sauteed Chicory Greens

Wash leaves in cold water, cut in half (or leave whole), cook either in boiling water (unsalted) until tender but not mushy or steam, drain well.

Greens raw in a colander and cooked in a bowl.
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    In medium frying pan add the olive oil, garlic and hot pepper flakes if using, cook 1 minute.

    The olive oil, garlic and hot pepper flakes in a pan.

    Then add the chicory and salt toss gently until heated through. Serve immediately, with a squeeze of lemon if desired.

    The greens in the pan.

    Other ingredients that go well with chicory are walnuts, anchovies, blue cheese or even fresh Pecorino cheese.

    Are Chicory greens good for you?

    Chicory has many health benefits, it is a good source of vitamins and minerals, including zinc, magnesium, calcium, manganese and iron. It is also used for loss of appetite, gut health, an upset stomach, liver and gallbladder problems, cancer and a rapid heartbeat. It can also be used to increase the production of urine and to protect the liver.

    How to serve them

    Chicory can be sauteed and served as a side dish, or added to a salad or even added to your favorite homemade soup. If you make your own broth you could add some along with the other vegetables. Or once sauteed toss with some pasta and sprinkle with some grated parmesan or pecorino.

    Or do as the Italians and use the sauteed greens to make a sandwich, using a crusty Italian bread or bun and add your favorite cheese. It really does make a delicious sandwich!

    Chicory on a white plate.

    How to store Chicory Greens

    Raw greens should be stored in a plastic bag, they shouldn’t be washed until ready to eat. They will last 4-5 days in the fridge. Cooked greens should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated. It will last for up 2 days in the fridge.

    How to freeze Chicory

    It is best to cook the greens first, drain well, let cool completely then placed in a freezer bag or container. It will keep for up to 1 month in the freezer.

    So if you ever come across these amazing greens  in your local market or farmer’s market, pick up a bunch and sautee yourself some Chicory Greens. Buon Appetito!

    Chicory on a white plate.

    More Italian Side Dishes

    • Italian Roasted Zucchini and Potatoes
    • Italian Fried Peppers
    • Peas and Pancetta
    • Simple Italian Green Beans
    Chicory greens in a black pan.

    Italian Sauteed Chicory Greens

    Rosemary Molloy
    This traditional Italian recipe for Sauteed Chicory Greens, makes a simple, quick and easy side dish. Cooked Greens never tasted so good!
    5 from 8 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 3
    Calories 109 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 bunch chicory greens (1 pound /500-600 grams)
    • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1-2 cloves garlic minced
    • ¼-½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
    • 1-2 dashes hot pepper flakes (optional)

    EXTRAS

    • 2-3 slices fresh lemon

    Instructions
     

    • I trim off about ¼-½ inch (1cm) off the stems before washing. Wash the leaves and drain, I like to leave them whole but you can cut them in half if you prefer. Cook the greens in either a large pot of boiling water (unsalted) or steam until tender but not mushy, drain well.
    • In medium frying pan add the olive oil, garlic and hot pepper flakes if using, cook 1 minute, then add the chicory and salt toss gently until heated through 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately, with a squeeze of lemon if desired. Enjoy!

    Notes

    Chicory can be sauteed and served as a side dish, or added to a salad or even added to your favorite homemade soup. If you make your own broth you could add some along with the other vegetables. Or once sauteed toss with some pasta and sprinkle with some grated parmesan or pecorino.
    Or do as the Italians and use the sauteed greens to make a sandwich, using a crusty Italian bread or bun and add your favorite cheese. It really does make a delicious sandwich!
    Raw greens should be stored in a plastic bag, they shouldn’t be washed until ready to eat. They will last 4-5 days in the fridge. Cooked greens should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated. It will last for up 2 days in the fridge.
    It is best to cook the greens first, drain well, let cool completely then placed in a freezer bag or container. It will keep for up to 1 month in the freezer.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 109kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 1gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 421mgPotassium: 474mgFiber: 4gVitamin A: 3275IUVitamin C: 10.1mgCalcium: 79mgIron: 1.3mg
    Keyword Chicory greens, dandelion greens, sauteed chicory greens, sauteed greens,
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Updated from December 15, 2018.

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      1. elena says

        January 17, 2023 at 4:31 am

        Great! Finally, I can get chicory leaves and this recipe reminds me of my mother’s …love chicory leaves it is healthy and has lots of benefices for my health requirements. I have it in salads, but I would like to cook some y perhaps try to freeze them for later. Would it be acceptable?…thanks for reading, and thanks for the recipe!!!

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          January 17, 2023 at 4:34 pm

          Hi Elena, thanks so much, your comment made me rewrite the post and add new photos. And yes you can definitely cook and freeze, but sure to let it cool completely and drain well. Then place in a freezer bag or container. It should keep in the freezer for up to a month. Take care!

          Reply
      2. Kristina Keyzer says

        February 6, 2021 at 8:52 am

        5 stars
        I an addicted to this

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          February 6, 2021 at 11:16 am

          Hi Kristina, I know it’s so good, delicious in a sandwich with some Italian cheese! Have a great weekend.

          Reply
      3. jeanne Nielsen says

        August 22, 2020 at 8:54 pm

        I am currently living in Italy and have eaten ‘chicoria ripassata’ many times and loved it each and every time. Now I have twice purchased fresh chickory greens from my local farm market and have twice prepared it and thrown it away as it was too bitter to eat. HELP!!!

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          August 23, 2020 at 11:36 am

          Hi Jeanne, there are a few ways you can do it, 1. Wash the chicory well and soak it for a couple of hours in cold water and ice before boiling it. Squeeze it very well before boiling it. 2- Wash the chicory then immerse it for a couple of hours in cold water and ice and then boil it, adding 2-3 potatoes while boiling (the potatoes will absorb the bitterness of the chicory). When cooked, drain everything and squeeze the chicory well to completely eliminate the cooking liquid. 3. Boil the chicory, drain it and immerse it for 20 minutes in cold water and lemon, then squeeze it well to remove all the liquid. 4- Boil the chicory with a teaspoon of bicarbonate added to the water, then drain and squeeze it very well to completely eliminate the cooking liquid. I hope one of these help with the bitterness. Let me know.

          Reply
      4. Lucile Stachowiak says

        July 3, 2020 at 1:39 pm

        Good Morning Rosemary:

        Reading over your recipes came across the for chicory. Brings back memories when I was a kid back in Buffalo New York. My father used to go and pick the dandelions, bring them home my mother used to rinse them off in cold water. The young ones she made into a salad, the older ones sauted them just like your recipe, good piece of italian bread wonderful sandwich. People don’t know what they’re mssing.

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          July 3, 2020 at 4:58 pm

          Hi Lucile, exactly, people don’t know, one of the most delicious things to eat. And yes a tasty sandwich too!

          Reply
      5. Ari Glo says

        January 7, 2020 at 5:46 pm

        I’m an American woman living in Argentina and I really connect with you…living in Italy. Thanks for your blog. I enjoy it and look forward to it.

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          January 8, 2020 at 4:34 pm

          Hi Ari, thanks so much, so glad you enjoy the blog. All the best to you.

          Reply
        • Rob says

          April 15, 2020 at 7:12 pm

          5 stars
          As a child, I used to hate chicory! Now as an adult, I love it. It reminds me of my parents garden, dinners with cicoria con penne, crusty bread and wine (served in small tumblers over course!).

          Reply
          • Rosemary says

            April 15, 2020 at 7:54 pm

            Hi Rob, it’s funny how something we used to hate and now brings back great memories, chicory is such a versatile veg. Take care.

      6. Cheryl says

        November 4, 2018 at 2:07 pm

        Is this Cichorium intybus? I would like to find the plant and identify it. Thanks!

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          November 5, 2018 at 6:26 pm

          Hi Cheryl this is what is called cicory puntarelle. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puntarelle. Hope that helps.

          Reply
        • Bill Maltsberger says

          January 6, 2019 at 5:51 am

          I have a LOT of wild chicory, Cichorium intybus, in my garden in Sacramento, CA. I love it and want recipes and growth tips. It is wild and robust during the wet winter season.

          Reply
          • Victir says

            October 25, 2019 at 3:43 am

            In Puglia, Italy, it is paired with fava beans made soft by pre-cookin it.
            Check out recipe. It is wonderful

      7. Mar says

        September 26, 2018 at 1:56 pm

        5 stars
        quant’è bbona la cicoria!!!!

        Reply
        • Rosemary says

          September 26, 2018 at 2:11 pm

          Puoi dirlo forte, Mar! 🙂

          Reply
      8. rose says

        June 27, 2014 at 1:19 pm

        Thanks Katherine, I will do that. have a great weekend!

        Reply
      9. Katherines Corner says

        June 26, 2014 at 11:09 am

        5 stars
        this is wonderful. I hope you shared it at the hop today. Hugs!

        Reply

      Hi, I'm Rosemary.

      Living in Italy I learned to cook authentic Italian dishes using whole ingredients, fresh veggies and delicious spices. So take a seat and have a taste! Read More

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