Description
This vibrant Radicchio Salad combines the slightly bitter crunch of radicchio with sweet pears, juicy blackberries, and tangy manchego cheese, all brought together by a zesty blood orange vinaigrette. It’s a refreshing, colorful salad perfect for a light lunch or an elegant starter.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- ¾ pound radicchio (2 heads, soaked)
- 1 pear (quartered and thinly sliced)
- 1 cup blackberries
- 2 ½ ounces manchego cheese (shaved)
Blood Orange Vinaigrette
- 1 small blood orange (juiced, about ¼ cup) or use orange juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoon stone ground mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Prepare Radicchio: Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice. Cut the radicchio into quarters and remove the core, then cut each quarter in half. Add these radicchio pieces to the ice water. Using your hands, separate the leaves and gently squeeze them to release bitterness. Let the radicchio soak fully submerged in the ice water for at least 15 minutes to mellow its flavor.
- Dry Radicchio: Drain the radicchio and dry it thoroughly using a salad spinner or by patting it with a kitchen towel. The radicchio can be prepared ahead and stored in a ziplock bag for up to 4-5 days after drying.
- Make Blood Orange Vinaigrette: In a jar, combine the blood orange juice (or orange juice), stone ground mustard, kosher salt, honey, and olive oil. Seal the jar and shake vigorously until all ingredients are well combined and emulsified.
- Assemble the Salad: Toss the dried radicchio leaves with the blood orange vinaigrette, massaging the dressing into the leaves for full flavor absorption. Adjust salt to taste. Add the pear slices, blackberries, and shaved manchego cheese to the salad. Lightly toss everything together, then transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately.
Notes
- Soaking radicchio in ice water reduces its bitterness, making it more palatable.
- The dressing can be adjusted by swapping blood orange juice for regular orange juice if blood oranges are unavailable.
- Dry radicchio well to ensure the dressing adheres properly and the salad isn’t watery.
- This salad is best served fresh but radicchio can be prepped and stored for several days ahead.
- Optional additions include toasted nuts for extra crunch or a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper for heat.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: radicchio salad, blood orange vinaigrette, pear salad, blackberry salad, manchego salad, Italian salad, vegetarian salad
