Endive boats stuffed with carrots, celery, and sunflower seeds with a creamy oil-free SunButter sauce. Perfect to serve as a plant-based appetizer!
Happy Labor Day Weekend!
There are lots of ch-ch-ch-changes happening at F&V right now.
I know, I know, at this point it must feel like I’ve been talking about moving for months, but that’s about about all I can think about right now.
The final push is in the next few days, and the next time I write to you I will be 100% settled in my new townhouse!
The other big news is that I *finally* signed up for a 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training.
You can read a little about my decision to sign up here.
I’m excited and more than a little scared about the whole thing; not as much the yoga part but absolutely the teacher part.
Every now and then I look askance at the pile of yoga books I have to read in the next 6 months.
But the truth that this will be the first reach for personal growth I’ve made outside of F&V in a long time, and that in itself feels like something worth chasing.
You know what else is worth chasing?
This new plant-based appetizer recipe that I’m sharing with you today featuring endives.
Grab an endive and let’s sail into the 3-day weekend on these Endive Boats with SunButter Sauce!
How do you feel about endives?
Yes, they’re kind of fuzzy and a little bitter, but I love their distinct flavor and shape in recipes.
They’re great grilled or raw in salads, but my favorite way to enjoy them is stuffed.
Preparing them is easier than you might think.
You slice off the bottom and the outer layers will naturally fall off, leaving beautiful opaque yellow tinged leaves prime for filling!
Continue trimming the stem 1-2 more times to get more leaves, discarding the woody center core.
I used 6 endives in this recipe to get 30+ endive boats, but you can prepare more or less depending on how many you’re serving.
I almost made these endive boats sweet, but at the last minute decided to take a savory twist.
The delish filling draws from Thai influence, featuring raw diced veggies in a super creamy seedy sauce.
The bulk of the filling is made with:
- carrots
- celery stalks
- cilantro
- toasted sunflower seeds
You’re going to love the distinct flavor sunflower seeds add to the “meat” of this filling.
Then we smother the veggies and seeds in a super creamy oil-free SunButter sauce.
I love using No-Sugar-Added SunButter in this recipe to create a no-peanut peanut sauce that’s slightly salty and slightly sweet.
The creamy SunButter sauce echos the sunflower seeds of the filling and holds all of the veggies, herbs, and seeds together.
You need:
- No-Sugar-Added SunButter
- apple cider vinegar
- maple syrup
- tamari lite
- Himalayan sea salt and black pepper, to taste
I whisked up everything by hand with a mixing bowl and fork, but you can also use a high-speed blender or food processor.
Mix about ~1/3 of the sauce onto the veggies and mix well, then reserve the rest of the sauce for dipping.
Stuff the endives with heaping Tablespoons of the mixture then garnish with extra SunButter sauce and a bit of cilantro.
Now take a bite.
These savory stuffed endives have a lot going on inside!
The salty and sweet mixture compliments the kind of bitter endive leaves, and the texture and crunch of the filling is a delight to eat!
The boats are also totally raw, protein-packed, oil-free, gluten-free, and slightly sweetened with maple syrup, making them a nutritious option for snacking and hosting.
I guarantee you (or your guests) will be back to swipe another leaf.
Try these Endive Boats with SunButter Sauce as an easy plant-based appetizer or side.
They’re a great recipe option for entertaining with time constraints because they require zero cook time.
Try serving them on a platter with the extra SunButter sauce in a nearby bowl for a classy vegan hors d’oeuvre.
If you aren’t a fan of sunflower seeds, try subbing peanuts or pine nuts for a flavor variation.
You can also swap out the cilantro for your favorite herb, like mint or parsley.
Enjoy!
If you make these Endive Boats with SunButter Sauce, let me know!
Be sure to leave me a comment, rating, and review so I can use your feedback to create more yums.
Give me a shout on Instagram and use #floraandvino to show me your creations.
Check out my Pinterest page to pin more recipes like this one to make later.
For more appetizing vegan appetizers,, check out my Pea Pesto Sweet Potato Poppers and Eggplant Rounds Herbed Yogurt Sauce & Pomegranate.
If you loved this post and want more, go to my homepage and subscribe to get deliciousness delivered right to your inbox!
XO Lauren

Endive Boats with SunButter Sauce
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 20-30 boats
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Endive boats stuffed with carrots, celery, and sunflower seeds with a creamy oil-free SunButter sauce. Perfect to serve as a plant-based appetizer!
Ingredients
Endive Boats
- 6 endives
- 2 large carrots, peeled and finely diced
- 5 celery stalks, finely diced
- 1/4 cup cilantro, minced
- 1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
- 1/3 cup SunButter Sauce (recipe below)
- Himalayan sea salt and black pepper, to taste
SunButter Sauce
- 1/4 cup No-Sugar-Added SunButter
- 1 TBPS apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp tamari lite (read labels to ensure gluten-free)
Instructions
- Rinse the outside of each endive. Trim the stem off each endive with a knife. The outer leaves will naturally loosen and fall off. Continue cutting the steam to loosen more leaves, discarding the woody core. Continue this for each endive until you have a collection of leaves. Rinse the leaves once more and pat dry with a towel.
- Prepare the SunButter Sauce by adding all of the ingredients to a high-speed blender and process until it’s smooth and creamy. Alternatively, you can whisk in a large bowl to combine, but a blender does a better job for the creamiest consistency. Add 1-2 TBSP of filtered water as needed to reach your desired consistency.
- Dice the carrots, celery, and cilantro and add to a large bowl with the sunflower seeds and cilantro. Toss lightly with the SunButter sauce. Season with Himalayan sea salt and black pepper to taste.
- Spread endive leaves facing up on a plate. Spoon the filling into endives leaves in heaping 1 TBSP spoonfuls. Garnish with optional leftover SunButter sauce and chopped cilantro.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, though best when fresh. The SunButter sauce keeps in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Raw. Vegan. Not Gross.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Category: Appetizer, Snack
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Oil-Free
This post is brought to you by SunButter, but all words and eats are my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep me hungry!
Have to try this recipe!!!
You’ll love it!!! Let me know what you think!