Cicoria (chicory) is of one of my favourite winter greens. This bitter, leafy vegetable is found in markets and greengrocers all over Italy, but is not as commonly here in Australia.
I especially love the open-air markets, where the bunches seem to have a life of their own and carts of wild-foraged cicoria are plentiful.
Cicoria is cultivated and sold in bunches, it is a green vegetable, but sometimes the stalks are tinted red. The cicoria family includes catalogna and puntarelle (also called Cicoria cimata). These are usually used in salads.
To the uninitiated, cicoria may seem like just another bitter leafy green. But in Italy, it holds a much more significant role.
What Is Cicoria?
Cicoria is a catch-all term Italians use for a variety of bitter greens: wild dandelion, catalogna, and puntarelle (which look like cicoria that has started to sprout). In English, it’s loosely translated as chicory, though it includes more varieties than you’d typically find at a greengrocer’s, especially in Australia.
In many parts of the world, chicory is seen more as a medicinal herb or a coffee substitute (in fact, chicory essence was widely consumed as “coffee” when I first arrived in Australia). But in Italy, it’s cherished—an essential vegetable in cucina povera, the humble, healthful peasant cooking that defines much of the country’s food culture.
Italians will tell you that bitter greens are “good for the liver”—and they’re right. Cicoria’s natural bitterness stimulates bile production, supports digestion, and nourishes the gut. Like artichokes, another bitter Italian favourite, it’s as healing as it is flavourful.
How I Cook Cicoria
There are endless ways to prepare cicoria, and most Italian recipes begin with boiling or blanching to soften it. That said, I don’t always do this—I often sauté the greens first, then add a bit of liquid, cover with a lid, and let them cook gently.
Cicoria Ripassata
The most traditional—and simplest—method is to boil or blanch the greens, then sauté with aromatics. This is known as cicoria ripassata: after boiling, the greens are “repassed” in olive oil with garlic and chili. Though often credited as a Roman dish, it’s made this way all over Italy. (The chili is optional.)
Boiled Cicoria with Lemon and Olive Oil
Surprisingly refreshing: just boiled cicoria with a drizzle of good olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. Sometimes served with a bit of its poaching liquid, this method is known as rinfrescante—cleansing and hydrating for the digestive system.
Cicoria with Legumes
Bitter greens pair beautifully with creamy beans. Mix cicoria with lentils, borlotti, or cannellini for a hearty side dish—or turn it into pasta e fagioli. I also like spooning cicoria and borlotti over polenta or cooking it with fresh Italian pork sausages and pasta.
Frittate
Leftover sautéed cicoria makes a fantastic frittata. I use all sorts of vegetables as a contorno (side dish) the day before, then reuse the leftovers in a frittata or add them to soups.
Salads
The tender inner leaves of the long leaf cicoria can also be eaten raw. I like mixing the young central leaves into salads with lettuce, rocket, radicchio, fennel, and endive.
Varieties like puntarelle and catalogna are also very popular salad ingredients. Romans traditionally dress puntarelle with anchovy vinaigrette.
Cicoria Ripassata
I often serve this as a contorno (side dish).
Ingredients:
1 large bunch of cicoria (chicory or dandelion greens)
2–3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 dried or fresh chili (or chili flakes)
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste
Instructions:
Clean the cicoria thoroughly, removing any tough stems and soaking well to remove grit.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the cicoria for 5–10 minutes, until tender. Drain well and gently squeeze out excess water.
In a wide skillet, heat a generous glug of olive oil. Add garlic and chili, and let them infuse the oil for a minute or two.
Add the cicoria, season with salt, and sauté for another 5 minutes, tossing to coat in the flavours.
Purea di Fave e Cicoria
(Broad Bean Purée with Chicory)
A Southern Italian winter favourite, this dish is both comforting and nutrient-rich. I sometimes swap fava beans for butter beans for convenience—they’re creamy, mild, and velvety. I often serve the purée with slivers of fresh or toasted bread, much like hummus. Try it as an antipasto with a Southern Italian wine such as Malvasia Bianca, Verdeca, or Fiano.
Ingredients:
1 cup dried split broad beans (or whole beans, peeled after soaking)
1 bunch of cicoria
2 cloves garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste
Instructions:
Soak the broad beans overnight. Drain and peel if needed.
In a pot, cover the beans with fresh water and simmer over low heat until very soft (about 1 hour). Add water as needed. Once cooked, mash or purée with olive oil and salt until smooth and creamy.
Meanwhile, clean and boil the cicoria until tender. Drain and sauté with garlic and olive oil.
To serve, spoon the broad beann purée onto a plate, top with the cicoria, and finish with a generous drizzle of olive oil.
The fragrance is incredible.
Other Cicoria recipes:
CICORETTA CON SALSICCIA (Chicory with fresh pork sausage)
CICORIA and Puntarelle (Chicory)
SEASONAL WINTER VEGETABLES in Melbourne, Australia
BITTER GREENS and AMARI (Aperitivi and Digestivi)
Below, wild greens seller in Sicily.
