Endive, a member of the daisy family, is a leafy green vegetable that can be added to salads or cooked like spinach.

A close relative of chicory, there are three main varieties of endive-Belgian endive, curly endive and escarole.

Both curly endive and escarole are used mainly in salads, but can also be briefly cooked and eaten as a vegetable or in soups. Endive is an excellent source of beta carotene and folate.

Choose endive with a fresh, crisp texture and avoid heads with discoloration or insect damage. Store curly endive and escarole, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.