Escarole

Do you know that there are more than hundred types of salads? The escarole, scientific name Cichorium endivia of the family Asteraceae or Compositae, belongs to this long list of vegetables rich in vitamins, mineral salts, water, thus being able to stimulate diuresis, and with important healthy properties. In particular, the escarole is characterized by a slightly bitter taste like rocket salad or chicory and, for this reason, it stimulates digestion by improving the production of gastric juices and the functioning of the liver. You can therefore eat escarole especially after heavy meals and fried foods, this salad helps purify the kidneys, bowel and liver. After holidays and overeating, an escarole salad consumed for a few days is a healthy choice to detoxify the body. The mineral salts present are iron, calcium and potassium while the vitamins are the vitamin A, beneficial for the health of the retina as well as able to increase the resistance of the body to infections, vitamin C, important for the immune system, K, for blood clotting, and group B, which supports the nervous system. Escarole is also an excellent source of useful fibers against constipation, to control cholesterol levels but also to provide a sense of satiety, making it ideal to be inserted in the diet of those people who are overweight or obese. It is a salad with large leaves, characterized in the center by a lighter color, that can be also yellow, called the heart of the salad. Like all the vegetables, the best way to preserve the nutrients of escarole is to eat it raw, chopped with your hands and added to salads. Many recipes require the use of cooked escarole, in this case, consider that a part of the properties is lost with the heat.