Often overlooked, radicchio may not be one’s top choice for a salad. But, peel back those wilted layers and reveal something incredible. It’s deep red color and trademark bitterness just shines in the dimly lit cooler months — especially when paired with peak winter citrus, goat cheese, and dates.
You may be tempted to swap the radicchio for a more common variety of lettuce. And, while crunchy romaine is an option, this winter salad works because it’s all about the balance and texture of ingredients at their peak. Bitter and sweet. Crunchy and creamy. The radicchio, oranges, dates, goat cheese, and honey-sweetened vinaigrette all work together.
I love to serve this radicchio salad with citrus and goat cheese for friends and family with a rich meal like braised short-ribs. But, it doesn’t require a fancy meal either. My favorite is alongside a large cheese pizza and a bottle of good Italian red wine.
Tame radicchio’s bitter bite.
While radicchio’s bitterness may be off-putting to some, I find that its bite helps balance big flavors. The combinations of sweet and salty in this radicchio salad with citrus and goat cheese help to complement the bitter flavor.
That said, if radicchio is too bitter, you can tone down the bitterness. The bitter compounds in radicchio are water-soluble. Soak the leaves in ice-cold water for at least 30 minutes.
Types of radicchio.
Radicchio is a member of the chicory family (all of which are delicious). Regardless of the variety, here are a few types of radicchio for your salad to look for. Both are interchangeable in this recipe.
Chioggia — your supermarket favorite that looks like red cabbage. Available year-round.
Trevisio — tall and oval-shaped, it looks like a red heart vo romaine or large, red endive.
Notes from the Kitchen
- Up to one week before: Prepare the dressing and refrigerate in an airtight container.
- The day before: Segment the citrus and store in an airtight container.
- Just before serving: Assemble and dress the radicchio salad.
More of my recipes
Romaine Salad with Pecorino-Anchovy Dressing and Sumac Breadcrumbs
Almond Crusted Fish Piccata with Fennel Salad
Watermelon Radish Salad with Melon
Winter Salad with Charred Citrus Vinaigrette
Winter Radicchio Salad with Citrus, Goat Cheese and Dates
Ingredients
- 1 large 12 oz radicchio, cut in half, core removed, and leaves separated
- 1 Tbsp orange zest
- 2 blood oranges or tangerines
- 2 Cara Cara oranges
- 3 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
- 1/2 shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp 15 ml honey
- 2 Tbsp 30 ml orange juice
- 2 Tbsp 30 ml white wine vinegar
- 1/3 cup 75 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 oz 85 g fresh goat cheese
- 1/3 cup 30 g pistachios, shelled and roughly chopped
- flaky sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cut the radicchio in half and remove the core. Separate the leaves while discarding the wilted, outer ones. Roughly tear into pieces and submerge in a bowl of ice water while you prepare the dressing.
- Zest one of the blood oranges into a small bowl, about 1 Tbsp. Using a sharp knife, remove the pith and peel of all oranges. Start by trimming off the very top and bottom of the fruit. Next, set the fruit on one end. Carefully cut the peel from the flesh by starting at the top and following the curves down. Slice 1 blood orange and 1 Cara Cara crosswise in 1⁄4-inch-thick rounds. Supreme the remaining 2 oranges by cutting between the white membrane removing each individual segment of fruit. Remove any seeds and set aside.
- In the bowl with the zest, add the shallots, dijon, orange juice, vinegar, dates, honey, and olive oil. Mix to combine and season with salt and pepper.
- Dry the radicchio in a salad spinner. Arrange the radicchio on a large platter and spread the citrus on top. Spoon about half of the dressing all over and crumble the goat cheese on top. Sprinkle with the pistachios, a pinch of flaky sea salt, and a few turns of pepper. Serve the remaining dressing on the side.
Notes
Notes from the Kitchen
- Up to one week before: Prepare the dressing and refrigerate in an airtight container.
- The day before: Segment the citrus and store in an airtight container.
- Just before serving: Assemble and dress the salad.
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