Italian Radicchio Salad
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 375kcal
This delicious Italian Radicchio Salad is dressed in a creamy lemon-vinaigrette and tossed with buttery calvestrano olives, tasty breadcrumbs and nutty parmesan cheese. And, a special tip ensures that your radicchio won't be bitter!
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Ingredients
Breadcrumbs:
- 2 thick slices crusty sourdough bread cut into large cubes (2 heaping cups)
- 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Salad:
- 2 medium heads radicchio about 1 pound
- ⅓ cup Castelvetrano olives chopped
- 1 ounce parmesan finely grated
Dressing:
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 1 large clove garlic grated or minced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper coarsely ground
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Discard any browned outer leaves of the radicchio. Quarter the heads, and cut into them at a diagonal to remove the core. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Add radicchio to a salad spinner or a large bowl. Fill bowl with ice water and set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the breadcrumbs. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Arrange bread cubes on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Toss until evenly coated. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the bread is brown and crisp. When cool enough to handle, roughly chop the cubes on a cutting board or process in a food processor to make coarse crumbs.
- Make the dressing by adding all ingredients to a small mason jar or small container. Shake to combine, or whisk. Taste, and adjust seasonings with additional salt and pepper, or sugar.
- Drain the radicchio and spin it dry or pat dry with a large dish towel. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Add olives, parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs and toss to combine. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
How to Make Ahead and Store
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I’ve found that this salad holds up well for a couple days in the fridge, though the breadcrumbs will become soggy. To ensure the best tasting salad when making this ahead of time, I would keep the dressing and toppings separate until ready to serve. Then just toss everything together.
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Swap out the lemon juice for orange juice, sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar to add a different flavor profile.
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Swap out the toasted breadcrumbs for some homemade croutons.
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Swap out the radicchio for any favorite bitter greens – belgian endive and arugula are great options! You could even try swapping in some shredded brussels sprouts, similar to my Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad.
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For added crunch, add in some toasted pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, sliced sweet apple, or pomegranate seeds.
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Try adding in some orange segments or blood oranges for added color and tang.
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In place of the parmesan, try adding in some manchego cheese, goat cheese or blue cheese.
Nutrition
Calories: 375kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 720mg | Potassium: 63mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 100IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 116mg | Iron: 1mg