Don’t get me wrong, I love a good salad, but there are days when I worry that if I have to stick my fork into another baby spinach and arugula mixture, my taste buds will fall asleep.

Can you relate?

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Kale is super, but maybe you’re in search of something else that’s leafy and green, with a little extra crunch and a touch of bitterness. Something more delicate than radicchio, but less tough than cabbage.

Endive might be just the thing you’re looking for. It’s a little different, not too fussy, and fabulously flavorful.

Depending on the cultivar and growing conditions, this veg can range in flavor from subtly to boldly bitter, and it has a crisp, juicy texture – perfect if you want to mix things up a bit.

Endive (Cichorium endivia), sometimes called escarole or frisee, isn’t as well known as its lettuce friends, but you can often find it in trendy restaurant salads and specialty markets, where a head practically costs as much as a small SUV.

I kid, I kid. But once you figure out how to make it thrive in your garden, there’s no need to shell out the green or wait for a special occasion to get your fix.

Don’t confuse endive with Belgian endive (C. intybus var. foliosum). That’s a different species of plant in the Cichorium genus. It’s a light yellow or cream torpedo-shaped head of greens.

If you can grow lettuce (and if you haven’t tried it yet, trust me, you can), you can also grow endive.

To help you with your gardening goals, here’s everything we’ll cover:

What Is Endive?

Endive (pronounced

plants soil seeds greening Kristine Lofgren Belgium