Soy Free Gluten Free Goat Cheese Pear Endive Boats
These little endive boats are the kind of appetizer that disappears from the platter before you even get a chance to announce what they are. The slightly bitter crunch of Belgian endive plays beautifully against the creamy, tangy goat cheese, sweet ripe pear, and those irresistible maple-candied walnuts you make right in a skillet in under five minutes. A drizzle of honey and a scatter of fresh thyme tie everything together into something that feels genuinely elegant without requiring much effort at all. Every ingredient here is naturally free of soy — no label-scanning, no swaps, no stress — just clean, whole foods doing exactly what they're supposed to do. The lemon juice tossed with the pear slices is a smart little trick that keeps everything looking fresh and bright on the platter. Whether you're putting together a holiday spread or just want a stunning starter for a dinner party, this one delivers serious wow factor with a surprisingly short ingredient list.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the boats
- 2 heads belgian endive
- 4 oz goat cheese, softened
- 1 ripe pear, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
For the candied walnuts
- ½ cup walnut halves
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- ⅛ tsp fine salt
For serving
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (optional)
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- 1
Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the walnut halves and maple syrup, stirring to coat, and cook for 3–4 minutes, watching closely, until the syrup thickens and the walnuts are glossy and lightly toasted. Sprinkle with the fine salt, transfer to a piece of parchment paper, and spread into a single layer to cool completely, about 5 minutes.
- 2
Separate the endive leaves and select the 16–18 largest, most cup-shaped leaves for the boats. Arrange them in a single layer on a serving platter.
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