This is a blanched chicory salad dressed with garlic-anchovy oil and fresh lemon โ bitter greens, bright acid, a little heat if you want it, done in 20 minutes. It works as a side next to grilled fish or meat, or on its own with bread for a light lunch. The ingredient list is short, which means every one of them needs to be good.
Smart swaps
- Chicory (cicoria): Found at Italian grocers and some farmers markets. If you canโt track it down, dandelion greens or escarole are the closest substitutes โ both hold up to blanching and carry a similar bitterness. Radicchio works in a pinch but is milder and wonโt need as long in the boiling water.
- Anchovy fillet: One fillet is enough to add depth without making the salad taste fishy. Anchovy paste works too โ use about half a teaspoon. For a vegan version, the recipe card recommends capers, which is a solid call.
- Lemon: Use a fresh lemon, not bottled juice. You need the zest, and bottled juice tastes flat once it hits warm oil.
The short version of why this works
Two things make this salad actually good rather than just edible. First, blanching the chicory for 2โ3 minutes knocks back the raw bitterness without killing the texture โ skip it and the greens are too aggressive; overdo it and they turn to mush. Second, warming the olive oil gently before adding garlic and anchovy matters: the anchovy dissolves completely into the oil, which means the flavor distributes evenly across every piece of chicory rather than landing in clumps. Those two steps take maybe five minutes combined, and theyโre the difference between a salad that tastes balanced and one that just tastes bitter.
Mistakes to avoid
- Skipping the squeeze: After the ice bath, the chicory holds a surprising amount of water. If you donโt squeeze it firmly before chopping, the dressing gets diluted and pools at the bottom of the bowl instead of coating the leaves.
- Burning the garlic: Low heat means low heat. Garlic goes from fragrant to bitter in under a minute if the pan is too hot, and thereโs no fixing it once itโs done. If you see it starting to color, pull the pan off the heat immediately.
- Under-seasoning: Chicory is bitter and the anchovy adds salt, but the salad still needs a proper taste-and-adjust at the end. Flaky sea salt on top โ not stirred in โ gives you better control and a little crunch.
- Chopping too fine: The recipe calls for roughly 2-inch lengths for a reason. Smaller pieces turn soggy faster and lose the pleasant chew that makes this salad satisfying rather than just a pile of cooked greens.
- Adding lemon to hot oil and walking away: Stir the lemon juice and zest into the oil right before you pour it over the chicory. Lemon juice left sitting in warm oil for several minutes loses its brightness.
Keeping it fresh
Store the blanched, squeezed, and chopped chicory in an airtight container in the fridge โ undressed โ and it keeps well for up to four days. The infused oil can be made ahead and stored separately at room temperature for a day, or refrigerated for up to three days (bring it back to room temperature before using so it pours easily). Dress it at the table โ a pre-dressed salad goes limp fast, and the lemon flavor dulls noticeably after even a few hours. If youโre building lunches for the week, keep the components separate and combine them just before eating. The 10-minute resting tip in the recipe card applies to freshly dressed servings, not to salad thatโs been sitting in the fridge.
Lazio Chicory and Lemon Salad
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Small saucepan
- Chef's Knife
- Cutting board
- Wooden spoon
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh chicory (cicoria) washed and trimmed
- 1 large garlic clove finely minced
- 1 piece anchovy fillet packed in oil, finely chopped
- ยผ cup extra virgin olive oil preferably cold pressed and robust
- 1 medium lemon zested and juiced
- โ tsp red pepper flakes optional, for mild heat
- 1 pinch sea salt preferably flaky
- 1 pinch freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring 2 quarts of salted water to a rolling boil. Blanch the chicory for 2-3 minutes until just tender and bright green. Drain immediately and plunge into an ice bath to lock in color.
- Squeeze the blanched chicory to remove excess water, then chop roughly into 2-inch lengths. Set aside in a large mixing bowl.
- In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil gently over low heat. Add garlic and anchovy, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes until fragrant and the anchovy melts into the oil.
- Add lemon zest, juice, and red pepper flakes (if using) to the warm oil. Stir to combine and remove from heat.
- Pour the infused oil over the chicory and toss gently to coat. Season with sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste.
Notes
- For a vegan version, omit the anchovy and replace it with a teaspoon of capers for briny complexity.
- If cicoria is unavailable, use dandelion greens or escarole as a substitute.
- Letting the dressed salad sit for 10 minutes allows the flavors to meld beautifully.
Nutrition
Common questions
Can I use a whole bag of pre-washed salad chicory instead of fresh cicoria?
No โ pre-washed salad chicory is meant to be eaten raw and will turn to mush if you blanch it. You need a sturdy, leafy chicory with thick ribs that can hold up to boiling water, like the kind sold in bunches at Italian markets or farmers markets.
My family doesnโt like bitter greens. Will they still enjoy this?
Blanching takes the edge off significantly, and the lemon-anchovy oil softens the bitterness further. If theyโre still hesitant, escarole is a milder swap that works well with the same dressing.
Can I make the garlic-anchovy oil in larger batches?
Yes, and itโs worth doing. Scale up the oil, garlic, and anchovy, then refrigerate it in a small jar for up to three days. Itโs also good on roasted vegetables or tossed with pasta.
Is one anchovy fillet really enough to taste?
Yes โ one fillet melted into a quarter cup of olive oil gives you background savory depth, not a fishy flavor. If you want it more pronounced, add a second fillet, but taste before adding more.
How do I know when the chicory is blanched enough?
It should be bright green and just tender when you pierce the thicker stems with a fork โ usually 2 to 3 minutes. Donโt wait for it to go limp; it continues cooking slightly even after you drain it, so pull it a little early.
Can I serve this warm instead of at room temperature?
Yes, and itโs good that way. Pour the infused oil over the chicory while both are still warm and serve immediately. Room temperature is the most common way to serve it, but warm works especially well as a side dish alongside meat or fish.