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Mediterranean Endive Boats are filled with olives, feta, artichoke hearts, and more. Perfectly delicious appetizers or finger food salads!

This Endive Appetizer may be your introduction to this crisp, slightly bitter green related to chicory. Adding sweet tomatoes and creamy cheese helps to balance the flavor profile beautifully!

Close view of Mediterranean Endive Boats in a white, rimmed serving tray.
Table of Contents hide
1 Why You Must Make
2 Ingredient Notes
3 Recipe Tips
4 Frequently Asked Questions
5 You May Also Like
6 Mediterranean Endive Boats
7 Skinny Tip

Why You Must Make

Bill and I joined a dinner club with 3 other couples. The goal was to get together four times a year for good food, and fellowship and to utilize the dishes gathering dust in our china cabinets. Our first gathering was in early May.

  • Our lovely hostess, Sabra, offered up a finger food salad course while we watched our local Indiana Pacers in the NBA playoffs (the wives are foodies, the hubbies needed their sports fix).
  • Filled with chopped vegetables tossed in a lovely vinaigrette, this endive recipe disappeared quickly. I definitely ate my share!
  • It’s a fun, unique appetizer or salad when entertaining. It will definitely be a conversation starter! Not everyone has eaten Belgium endive before.

Ingredient Notes

  • Kitchen Staples – Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper, Minced Garlic
  • Belgian Endive Leaves – Remove any damaged outer leaves, then separate the endive into single leaves. See tips below on how to make the endive stable on the serving tray.
  • Mixed Olives – Remove any pits. Slice.
  • Cherry or Grape Tomatoes – Slice to make bite-sized.
  • Marinated Artichoke Hearts -Remove any tough outer leaves; Cut in half or quarter to make bite-sized.
  • Fresh Basil – Chop or roll leaves and slice (chiffonade)
  • Feta Cheese – Crumble
  • Balsamic Vinegar – I prefer a well-aged, syrupy balsamic. But you can use what’s available to you.
A tray of endive boats on a red and white checked napkin.

Recipe Tips

The taste of these Mediterranean Endive Boats haunted me. I googled the recipe the next morning before even asking the hostess for details. I had some gorgeous endive in my fridge, so I was impatient to make these babies for my lunch. All that’s involved is some chopping, whisking, and tossing.

  • PRO-Tip: Slice just a sliver off the bottom of the endive leaf to allow them to sit flat on the serving tray.
  • Make sure all the filling ingredients are cut into bite-sized pieces for easier eating.
  • If you have some leftover endive, these Endive Cups with Blue Cheese and Raspberries are also magnificent!
  • You can tweak the recipe to your palate. If you only like green or black olives use only the variety you prefer.
  • If you are not a fan of feta, use small cubes of fresh mozzarella cheese.
A white ceramic tray with endive leaves filled with salad.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Endive?

Endive is in the same family as chicory and comes in three varieties,  Belgian, curly and escarole. Belgian endive comes in cigar-shaped, tightly packed heads. The leaves are pale since they’re grown in a dark environment.
It’s often used in salads but can also be cooked briefly for a side dish or in soups.

How Do You Wash Endive?

You don’t need to wash endive since it’s not grown in soil. If the outer leaves aren’t pristine, you can remove those. It’s best to store it in the refrigerator, first wrapped in paper towels, then plastic.

When is Endive in Season?

Endive is available from September through May.

You May Also Like

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Close view of Mediterranean Endive Boats in a white, rimmed serving tray
The Recipe:

Mediterranean Endive Boats

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Yield 6

Mediterranean Endive Boats - a fun, bite sized salad or appetizer

Ingredients

  • 12 Belgian endive leaves
  • ¼ cup sliced mixed pitted olives
  • ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes or 1 cup grape tomatoes
  • ½ cup marinated artichoke hearts, tough leaves removed
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • ¼ cup fresh basil leaf, chopped
  • ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 ½ teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Instructions

  1. Combine the olives, tomatoes, artichokes, garlic, and basil in a bowl.
  2. Add olive oil and vinegar, salt and pepper, and toss with olive and tomato mixture.
  3. Arrange endive leaves on a plate, fill each one with a teaspoonful of the mixture, top with feta crumbles, and serve.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

2 endive leaves
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 284Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 1143mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 15gSugar: 5gProtein: 8g

HOW MUCH DID YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

© Liz Berg
Cuisine: Mediterranean / Category: Appetizers

Skinny Tip

I’m starting a new series of Skinny Tips. How I keep slim is one of my most frequent inquiries. I’ll feature tips on some of my upcoming blog posts.

Tip #13: Keep busy. Keep out of the kitchen. I tend to snack when I’m bored. Run an errand. weed the garden, take a walk. But if you’re really hungry, make sure to allow yourself a nutrient-rich snack…a starving gal can do a lot of damage to a batch of cookies!