• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
A Foodcentric Life
  • Easter
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Living Well
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Easter
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Living Well
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Easter
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Living Well
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Snacks and appetizers

    Endive with Herbed Cream Cheese

    Published: Dec 27, 2011 · Modified: Mar 18, 2022 by Sally Cameron · This post may contain affiliate links · 10 Comments

    793 shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Ever use Endive for snacking or appetizers? The leaves make a great container and scooper. Endive with herbed cream cheese is reminiscent of classic Green Goddess dressing with lots of fresh herbs.  They make an easy, light appetizer for entertaining and celebrations accompanied by a glass of Champagne, sparkling wine, or sparkling mineral water.

    Endive leaves stuffed with herbed cream cheese.
    Endive leaves stuffed with herbed cream cheese.

    When I’m catering parties and my clients want a crudites platter, I pair it with my version of Green Goddess dip. This time, I’ve made it a bit thicker, using cream cheese as the base. The flavors burst with the bright flavors of fresh herbs and lemon.

    Packed with fresh tarragon, parsley, dill, chives, and a little lemon, pipe the filling into the leaves for an elegant presentation. If you can find chervil, that’s good too. For easier, more casual presentation, spoon it into a bowl to use as a dip for the leaves and add whole grain crackers.

    Jump to:
    • About Endive
    • Then and Now
    • Instructions
    • Serving
    • Storage
    • Other Uses
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    About Endive

    If you’ve never tried endive, here’s your opportunity. Prized around the world, endive is the elegant member of the chicory family. This family includes escarole and curly endive, most often used for salad greens.

    Endive is difficult to grow, going through a two-step growth process. There’s interesting information on the Discover Endive website. It’s not only pretty, coming in both red and white colors, but it’s really good for you! For buying and storage tips, read here.

    Endive leaves stuffed with herbed cream cheese.
    Endive leaves stuffed with herbed cream cheese.

    Then and Now

    Green Goddess was popular from the 1920′s through the 1980′s then practically disappeared after the advent of Ranch dressing. Some say the original was created by a chef at San Francisco’s Palace Hotel, named for a hit 1920′s play. Some say it heralds back to the chef for French King Louis XIII. Either way, the flavors work great for how we eat today. You could even spread it on bread for a terrific turkey sandwich.

    Stuffed endive appetizer.
    Stuffed endive appetizer.

    Instructions

    Set the cream cheese out to soften for at least and hour or two. It will be easier to blend. In the mean time, chop your shallot and herbs. When the cream cheese is soft, place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well until smooth with a whisk or flexible spatula. You can also use a food processor. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and white pepper.

    You can use ground black pepper but the white disappears nicely in this recipe. Make it a few hours ahead or the day before.

    Serving

    To make it look like the photos, use a disposable piping bag and a large star tip. If' that's too fussy for you, scoop it into a bowl and serve as a dip with the endive leaves, raw veggies and crackers.

    Storage

    The herbed cream cheese will last 4-5 days in the refrigerator well covered.

    Other Uses

    Spread it on a sandwich or use it in a wrap, like this turkey wrap.

    📖 Recipe

    green goddess stuffed endive leaves | afoodcentriclife.com

    Endive with Herbed Cream Cheese

    Sally Cameron
    Based on the flavors of classic Green Goddess salad dressing, this filling or dip is packed with the flavors of fresh herbs and lemon in a base of light cream cheese. For a dip, thin with low fat milk to the desired consistency, or thinner to become salad dressing.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Total Time 15 mins
    Course Appetizer
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 224 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 8 ounces  cream cheese at room temp, softened
    • 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
    • ¼ cup sour cream
    • ¼ cup Mayonnaise or Vegenaise
    • 1 lemon, zested
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
    • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped tarragon
    • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill plus extra for garnish if desired
    • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped Italian parsley
    • 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
    • ½ teaspoon anchovy paste optional
    • ½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
    • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 4-6 heads Belgian endive

    Instructions
     

    • In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together until smooth. Refrigerate until needed. Taste and adjust to your preferences.  It’s best made a few hours or a day ahead so the flavors have time to meld and develop.
    • When well chilled, place filling into a piping bag with a star or French tip. Trim the stem end of the endive leaves and carefully peel the leaves off of the base of the head so you have individual leaves. Place on a platter and fill from the piping bag. Alternatively, spoon the filing into a small bowl or ramekin and serve the endive leaves and crackers around it for guests to help themselves.

    Notes

    Make the cream cheese ahead of time so the flavors become more pronounced.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 224kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 4gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 441mgPotassium: 218mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 819IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 85mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    « The Best Homemade French Onion Soup
    How to Make Homemade Almond Milk »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Blair says

      April 06, 2015 at 3:08 pm

      May I ask why you suggested Veganaise in the recipe? I though at first it was a vegan recipe, but then noticed that there was sour cream and cream cheese and anchovy paste.

      Reply
      • Sally Cameron says

        April 09, 2015 at 7:42 pm

        Hi Blair. It is not categorized as a vegan recipe. Veganiase is a brand of ready made mayonnaise that i think is very good. It has no eggs and comes made with a variety of oils. Look for it in the refrigerated list of your market. I think it's a lot better than most off the shelf stuff. Hope that helps. Another option is to make your own homemade mayonnaise. That the best, and what I have been doing a lot lately. When I don't have time, I'll use Veganaise.

        Reply
    2. Diane says

      March 05, 2013 at 11:51 am

      Oh, this looks wonderful and is making me hungry! I just received some beautiful endive in my farm box and can't wait to make this for my next get together with my friend next door.

      Reply
    3. Renee says

      June 26, 2012 at 4:33 am

      Hello...this is a fabulous recipe, IM very interested in trying it. A quick question tho...will the endive start to get soggy if I pre-fill an hour b4 event? I would keep refrigerated of course!
      Ty for your recipe!!!
      Renee'

      Reply
      • Sally says

        June 26, 2012 at 8:43 am

        Hi Renee. An hour ahead and you'll be fine. Endive is pretty crisp, and do keep them refrigerated (and covered). You don't even need to fill them as full as the photo shows. Less works too. Hope you enjoy!

        Reply
    4. meatballs & milkshakes says

      April 03, 2012 at 1:06 pm

      Beautiful! I love endive leaves filled with all kinds of things!

      Reply
    5. susan says

      December 30, 2011 at 8:19 pm

      this is gorgeous. I don't even like green goddess, but want to eat this whole plate!!

      Reply
    6. Madonna says

      December 28, 2011 at 2:17 pm

      Sally, How beautiful. I wish I had had this dish to take to my sister’s for Christmas dinner. She and I were running a little late with dinner, and some family members were showing it. She said I should remind her to have a few low-fat hors d'oeuvres so “this” did not happen again. So I guess that is my job now; heehee. Thank you for this recipe. It is just the thing. Ironically she has just found endive and was saying how good it is. I will have to share with her the health benefits. Oh, I almost forgot – tarragon is her favorite herb.

      Reply
    7. Sally says

      December 28, 2011 at 9:48 am

      One cup of endive per week can reduce ovarian cancer by 75%!! Wow, who knew? Beautiful for a New Year's appetizer, but even more relevant to eating in the new year! This would make a great healthy snack to have around for getting through the stretch from lunch to dinner. Such pretty, festive photos. I don't think I've seen red endive in the Northeast, but will have to keep my eye out for them.

      Reply
    8. Lisa says

      December 28, 2011 at 9:04 am

      Sal, this blog entry turned out great. Thanks for the links. Pretty interesting to watch the creative process with you and Kent and see the finished result. Happy New Year!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    chef sally cameron | afoodcentriclifecom.bigscoots-staging.com

    Welcome! I'm Sally, a classically trained chef (but you don't have to be!). My passion is cooking fresh healthy food and sharing it with others.

    More about me →

    Easter Recipes

    • Bark bites on a round display plate for serving.
      Chocolate Bark Recipe (bark bites)
    • pork tenderloin with blackberry sauce
      Pork Tenderloin with Blackberry Sauce
    • hard boiled eggs
      How to Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs (Easy Peel)
    • seared salmon with raspberry
      Pan Seared Salmon With Raspberry Sauce
    • crispy seared duck breast
      How to Cook Crispy Duck Breast
    • green beans almondine
      Green Beans Almondine with Lemon

    Popular Recipes

    • Close up of a platter of salmon filets with lemon and herbs on a table.
      How to Make Simple Steamed Salmon
    • Mushroom Duxelles
      Classic French Mushroom Duxelles
    • Chicken Marsala
      Chicken Marsala Recipe (without cream)
    • creamy cauliflower soup
      Smooth and Creamy Cauliflower Soup
    • white chicken chili
      Easy White Chicken Chili
    • easy chicken parmesan
      Easy Chicken Parmesan Recipe

    Footer

    as seen on

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Menu

    • Home
    • About
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.