Endive and Mixed Greens Salad with Goat Cheese, Walnuts and Mandarin Oranges

In an effort to detox after our culinary tour of Austin, I have been snacking on a bunch of fruits and veggies over the last few days. Here's a tasty recipe that brings them both together. The sweet and fruity flavors of the citrus and balsamic vinegar balance out the bitterness of the endive and mixed greens.  

I also love the combinations of textures in this salad -- the crisp endive leaves, juicy orange slices and the creamy goat cheese work together nicely.

Ingredients

• 1 small white Belgian endive
• 1 small red Belgian endive
• 1 cup mixed greens
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoons honey
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup mandarin orange segments
• 1-2 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon walnuts, chopped
• black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, honey and salt in a small sauce pan. Simmer on medium hight heat for 5-6 minutes until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Trim the stems off of the endive heads and remove tough outer leaves. Give the leaves a rough chop.
3. Combine the greens, endive leaves, oranges, walnuts and goat cheese in a serving dish. Top with the honey balsamic reduction. Sprinkle with pepper.
4. You can also ditch the greens and stuff the whole endive leaves with the goat cheese, oranges and walnuts. Drizzle with the honey balsamic reduction, top with black pepper, and serve as hors d'oeuvres.

Stuffed Endive Hors d'Oeuvres