Delicious endive salad with guanciale and crunchy quinoa

Because you can do so much more with endive than just mashed potatoes!

The secret to this endive salad? That is, of course, the crispy quinoa. We fry it in the fat from the guanciale. This adds not only a fantastic texture to every bite, but also a lot of flavor. Think of it as a substitute for croutons.

Endive salad with crunchy quinoa

Prepare the pickled shallot first, as you will need the vinegar later for the endive salad dressing. Cut the shallot into thin rings and wash them briefly under running water to remove the sharp taste. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Add the shallot and the vinegar to a bowl. Mix and set aside.

Then cook the quinoa according to the instructions on the packaging. Drain and let cool.

Meanwhile, heat a deep pan over the heat. Add the guanciale (or other bacon bits) to the pan. To give the endive salad more kick, we also add chili flakes. If you don't like spicy food, you can skip this step. Fry the bacon bits until brown and most of the fat has melted. Scoop the bacon bits out of the pan and keep the fat in the pan.

Add the cooked quinoa to the pan with the bacon fat. Fry until the grains are crispy (10 to 15 minutes). Stir every few minutes so that every grain becomes crispy.

Take the bowl with the pickled shallots. Pour the vinegar into a bowl along with the grated garlic, olive oil, mustard, honey, and salt and pepper. Whisk the vinaigrette. Then add half of the shallots and the celery. Mix briefly.

Add the endive to the dressing and mix well. Add half of the quinoa and guanciale and stir again.

Divide the endive salad among plates and sprinkle with the remaining crunchy quinoa, guianciale, shallots, celery, and shavings of Parmesan cheese.