Chicory Soup: Easy Traditional Recipe from Puglia

Today, together with our Cesarina Juanita from Bari, we’re excited to share an easy and quick recipe made with simple, wholesome ingredients that brings a healthy yet flavorful dish to your table: chicory soup.
A true comfort food, especially perfect for the colder months: its warmth is a soothing treat for both the heart and the palate.

Chicory soup

Simple ingredients and authentic flavor for a nourishing dish from the Apulian tradition

DifficultyEasy

Cooking time15m

Servings4

€

CostLow

Ingredients

Chicory 1 kg
Garlic 1 clove
Onion to taste
Chili pepper to taste
Olive oil to taste
Cherry tomatoes 5
Pecorino cheese 1 tablespoon
Parmigiano cheese 1 tablespoon
Parsley to taste
Salt to taste

Method

Carefully trim the chicory, removing any damaged, overly tough, or fibrous outer leaves. Keep only the leaves that show no yellowing or dark spots.
Place the chicory in a large bowl filled with plenty of cold water.
Gently rinse the leaves with your hands, drain them, and place them again in a bowl with clean water. Repeat this process until the chicory is perfectly clean. Change the water frequently between rinses and do not soak the chicory for too long, as it may lose some of its characteristic slightly bitter flavor.
In a heavy-bottomed pot (preferably earthenware), combine the olive oil, finely chopped onion and garlic, quartered tomatoes (you can substitute with peeled tomatoes, removing the seeds), and chili pepper, then lightly sauté.
Drain the chicory and transfer it to the pot. Add the parsley, the cheese mixture, and salt.
Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.
Serve, finishing with an extra sprinkle of grated cheese.
This dish can be served with grilled bread, optionally rubbed with garlic.

Juanita

Vegetarian food experiences in milan

Discover our vegetarian food experiences in Milan. Plant-based cooking classes and dinings to taste countless recipes. Not just pizza and pasta, but a variety of dishes are born in Italy as vegetarian options. Tour a local market, prepare an all-veggies menu or have a picnic in a park sorrounded by greenery, learn how to cook with leftovers and make desserts together with Cesarine.