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This frisee salad is refreshing and sophisticated, pairing this frilly leafy green with orange, almonds and a zingy vinaigrette.

Frisee Salad
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Want to add sophistication to your meal? Try a crunchy and refreshing frisee salad! Frisée is a leafy green with a frilly texture and subtly bitter flavor, ideal for adding flair and elegance to salads. This one pairs it with the burst of juicy orange, aged Manchego cheese, and crunchy almonds, covering it all in a zingy white wine vinaigrette. It’s impressive and versatile enough to work with a load of different entrees. Here’s how it’s done!

Ingredients in frisee salad

Frisée, aka curly endive, is a leafy green with frilly leaves and a subtly bitter flavor. It’s part of the chicory family and technically a type of endive, though Belgian endive looks much different with its cylindrical shape. Its feathery leaves work great as a statement in salads, adding loads of texture and drama. Frisee is most well-known for its starring role in the French Lyonnaise salad, served with a poached egg and bits of bacon or lardon.

This frisee salad recipe is an elegant side salad that’s versatile and works with many types of meals. Here’s what you’ll need for this salad recipe:

  • Frisée (curly endive)
  • Orange
  • Shallot
  • Manchego cheese: a robust Spanish cheese we highly recommend finding! Or, substitute shaved Parmesan cheese
  • Sliced almonds
  • Mint leaves
  • White wine vinaigrette
Frisee

Tips on working with frisee

This feathery lettuce is a bit different from a head of romaine or iceberg, but it’s simple to work with. Here are a few notes on working with this leafy green:

  • Can’t find it at the store? It might be marked frisee, curly endive, or even endive lettuce (that was the case at our local grocery).
  • Expect variation in size and texture. Some heads of frisee are very small and frizzy, others have larger leaves (like the photo above). This varies based on the maturity of the lettuce. We prefer a younger, more tender plant because it’s fluffier with a milder flavor, but it can be hard to find.
  • Store unwashed, then wash and thoroughly dry before serving. It’s important to get the greens as dry as possible before you work with them, so the dressing adheres to the leaves. A salad spinner makes quick work of it!

Love bitter greens? Try our Endive Salad with Parmesan & Orange.

Frisee salad

For the white wine vinaigrette

This frisee salad is dressed with a simple white wine vinaigrette that adds a pop of acidity to each bite! It’s the ideal pair with the juicy orange and bitter green. This dressing uses simple ingredients you might already have on hand in your pantry and fridge. Head to this Easy Vinaigrette recipe for specific instructions!

  • White wine vinegar
  • Dijon mustard
  • Maple syrup or honey
  • Olive oil
White Wine Vinaigrette

Other salad dressings

Want to try this frisee salad with a different dressing? You’ll want to go with a light vinaigrette that doesn’t compete with the delicate wisps of frisee. Stay away from creamy dressings here. Here are a few homemade salad dressings that would work well here:

This frisee salad recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based and dairy-free, omit the cheese.

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Frisee Salad

Frisee Salad


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5 from 1 review

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
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Description

This frisee salad is refreshing and sophisticated, pairing this frilly leafy green with orange, almonds and a zingy vinaigrette.


Ingredients

Scale

For the frisee salad

  • 1 large or 2 to 3 small heads frisée* (may be marked as curly endive or endive lettuce)
  • 1 orange, plus zest
  • 1 shallot
  • 1 ounce Manchego cheese (or shaved Parmesan cheese; omit for vegan)
  • 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
  • 1 handful fresh mint leaves, optional

For the dressing (makes ½ cup; use 3 to 4 tablespoons)

  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • Fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Wash and dry the frisée, using a salad spinner or clean towel. Tear or chop the frisee into pieces.
  2. Zest half the orange. Then segment the orange, following the instructions in How to Cut an Orange.
  3. Thinly slice the shallot. Slice the Manchego cheese into pieces.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk the white wine vinegar, Dijon, maple syrup or honey, salt. Whisk in the oil 1 tablespoon at a time until a creamy dressing forms. Add a few grinds of fresh ground black pepper. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 weeks (bring to room temperature prior to serving).
  5. Serve the salad: place the greens on a large platter or separate plates. Top with orange slices, shallot, cheese, sliced almonds, orange zest, and mint leaves. Drizzle with about 3 to 4 tablespoons of the dressing, to taste.

Notes

*Sizes available at stores vary greatly based on the maturity of the plant. See the photo above for a large head of frisee. If the heads are very small you may need 2 to 3. Estimate about 6 cups greens total.

  • Category: Salad
  • Method: No Cook
  • Cuisine: Salad
  • Diet: Vegetarian

About the authors

Sonja & Alex

Hi, we’re Alex and Sonja Overhiser, married cookbook authors, food bloggers, and recipe developers. We founded A Couple Cooks to share fresh, seasonal recipes and the joy of cooking! Our recipes are made by two real people and work every time.

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1 Comment

  1. Sonja Overhiser says:

    Let us know if you have any questions!