Heirloom Tomato & Endive Salad + Olive Bagna Cauda

This vegan heirloom tomato & endive salad is tossed with chickpeas and drizzled with rich olive bagna cauda. It’s super easy to make, fresh, and nourishing — ideal for summer meals, picnics, or Mediterranean-inspired dinners.

This elegant, no-cook vegan salad celebrates peak-season heirloom tomatoes — juicy, colorful, and bursting with flavor — paired with crisp endive, protein-rich chickpeas, and a warm, savory olive bagna cauda dressing.

Gluten-free, high-fiber, oil-free adaptable, and ready in minutes, it’s the perfect light lunch, summer side dish, or Mediterranean-inspired appetizer that feels special without any effort.

Everything pairs together beautifully, and this is one salad that will knock your socks off. Seriously!

What is Bagna Cauda?

Bagna Cauda (pronounced “bayn-ya code-a”), meaning “hot bath” in Italian, is a traditional warm dip from the Piedmont region, dating back to the 16th century.

It’s typically served fondue-style with a mix of raw, grilled, or roasted vegetables and crusty bread for dipping — the rich, garlicky sauce clings beautifully, making every bite irresistible. (A fresh baguette is classic, but sourdough, whole grain, or artisan loaves are heavenly too!)

Traditional versions rely on anchovies, olive oil, butter, and garlic for deep umami and richness. In this vegan adaptation, we replace the anchovies with the salty punch of olives (Kalamata are my favorite, but black olives or capers work too) and skip the butter entirely — keeping it lighter, plant-based, and just as crave-worthy.

How To Make Heirloom Tomato & Endive Salad with Olive Bagna Cauda

In this recipe, we use bagna cauda as a warm dressing to gently wilt and flavor a fresh salad of heirloom tomatoes, chickpeas, and crisp endive—but you can also keep it raw and serve it at room temperature as a classic dip. Either way, it brings bold, savory warmth to every dish!

Ingredients You’ll Need

This simple salad comes together in 20 minutes and is full of delicious flavors!

Salad

• 2 medium heirloom tomatoes (any color), sliced into wedges
• 1/2 cup grape heirloom tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas
• 2 -3 endive, sliced (arugula would be great too)
• lemon wedges, to serve
• chopped parsley, to serve (optional)

Olive Bagna Cauda

• 1/4 cup good olive oil, more as needed
• 1/3 – 1/2 cup black olives and/or capers (I used a mix), pitted and minced, or diced
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• pinch of red pepper flakes, optional
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

Put it All Together

1. Prepare your salad ingredients and set them aside.
2. Next, make the bagna cauda, in a small saucepan over low heat, add the garlic, black olives/capers, and optional red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, for about 7 minutes. The garlic should soften, and the flavors will permeate the oil nicely. Add in the lemon juice and gently cook for another 2-3 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed. Remove from heat.
3. Fill individual dishes with the salad ingredients and top with the warm bagna cauda.

I hope you will enjoy this salad and vegan Bagna Cauda as much as I did—garlic breath and all. This dressing can double as a dip and will pair well with most vegetables, so keep it in mind for other uses. It’s a simple and wonderful recipe—a true keeper!

Now, bon appetit!

More Salad Recipes!

• Mediterranean Kale Salad
• Green Salad + Chickpeas + Lemon Tahini Dressing
• Crisp Apple & Coconut Bacon Salad
• Vegan Caesar Salad
• Classic House Salad

If you try this endive salad recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love hearing what you think or any changes you make.

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