Ingredient: Chicory

You might have walked past the shelves of lettuces and salad in the shops and not been quite sure what to do with chicory, that small and tightly packed green or red salad leaf. But beyond its many uses in your kitchen, it is also great for your gut health.

It’s rich in inulin, which is a type of prebiotic fibre that helps to feed the good bacteria in your microbiome – something that we talk about quite a lot at NatureDoc! The chicory root is often used in supplements and contains more inulin, but the chicory leaves are the tasty part you add to salads. In addition to being fantastic for digestion, inulin supports balanced blood sugar levels, and it can even help your body to absorb calcium.

Chicory is also full of vitamin C and quercetin, antioxidants that support your immune health and can help you manage your allergy symptoms.

These pretty crisp leaves have a mildly bitter flavour to help to get your digestive juices flowing if eaten at the start of the meal. This gentle bitterness makes it perfect to carry creamier dressings and cut through richer foods, such as smoked mackerel or blue cheese. You can roast it too, which softens the flavour a little, making it almost nutty.

Try halving a couple of chicory heads and roasting them with olive oil and thyme to serve alongside a roast chicken, steak or lamb. It makes a delicious and healthy change to cabbage.  It’s equally wonderful scattered in a salad with apple, pecans and Swiss cheese.  If you haven’t tried chicory before, give it a go – I would love to know what you think.

Some Chicory Recipes…