Hands down this is the most miraculous Radicchio Salad known to man. Equal parts radicchio and market lettuce with a simple vinaigrette and tons of cheese and toasted breadcrumbs on top. It's perfection in a bowl or on a plate.
Table of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
If you recall, I was in Chicago last month and had the most insanely perfect winter radicchio salad while out to dinner with my cousins. It was perfectly seasoned with just the slightest bite from the radicchio. I was hooked. Obviously it's my job to recreate that perfect winter salad and home so I'm thrilled to present to you my Radicchio Salad!
My Radicchio Salad is loaded with freshly grated cheese, toasted buttered panko, tons of winter radicchio and some gorgeous lettuce. I threw in some chickpeas for protein and some cherry tomatoes for color. The result is a perfect salad that would compliment any main course. Or it could transform into a main course salad if you added some additional protein on top like grilled steak or roasted chicken.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Red Onion
- Little gem lettuce
- Radicchio
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Canned chickpeas
- Parmesan cheese or Ricotta Salata
- Genoa Salami
- Pepperoncini's
- Lemon
- Red wine vinegar
- Olive oil
- Shallot
- Garlic
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- Unsalted butter
- Panko bread crumbs
How to Make
Combine all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper as needed
Combine everything for the Radicchio Salad in a large bowl except half of the grated parmesan or ricotta salata. Season with salt to taste, and toss to thoroughly combine. Drizzle 6 tablespoons of the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat the salad evenly. Taste, and add more vinaigrette as needed, plus salt and pepper/
Transfer the salad to a large platter and sprinkle with the extra grated/shredded ricotta salata and toasted buttered breadcrumbs
To make the Toasted Breadcrumbs Place a large non-stick skillet over medium heat with the olive oil and butter. Add the panko bread crumbs and sauté for 2-4 minutes until it starts to turn golden brown. Remove from heat and transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain any excess oil. Use as needed
Tips & Tricks
The vinaigrette recipe below is one of my favorites. You've seen it before in many other salad recipes on WGC. It's easy to prep ahead and stores in the fridge for up to 1 week! I tend to keep this stocked at all times so I can easily whip up a salad with a moments notice. It's perfect for this Radicchio Salad, on top of Butter Lettuce, or in any number of chopped salads.
FAQ's
What is Ricotta Salata
Ricotta Salata is a dry, aged version of ricotta cheese. It is a firm, crumbly cheese with a salty flavor, perfect for grating or crumbling over salads, pasta dishes, or vegetables.
What is Radicchio
A type of leafy vegetable commonly used in salads and Italian cuisine. It can be a bit bitter at times so it's great to even it out with other kinds of lettuce.
What are the different varieties of radicchio
There are several different varieties of radicchio, including Chioggia, Treviso, Castelfranco, and Tardivo. All of these are equal parts gorgeous and would work beautifully in this radicchio salad. Some kinds of radicchio tend to be a bit more bitter so try a bite before going all in once you get home. If it's a particularly bitter head, make sure to add a bit more lettuce to balance.
Similar Recipes
Radicchio Salad
Ingredients
- ¼ red onion thinly sliced
- 2 heads little gem lettuce torn into pieces
- 1 head radicchio torn into pieces
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 15 ounces canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 8 ounces freshly grated parmesan cheese or ricotta salata
- 4 ounces Genoa Salami chopped
- 5 whole pepperoncini's, (stems discarded), cut into thin slices (about ¼ cup)
For the Vinaigrette
- 1 lemon juiced
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
For the Toasted Breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- â…“ cup panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper as needed
- Combine everything for the salad in a large bowl except half of the grated parmesan or ricotta salata. Season with salt to taste, and toss to thoroughly combine. Drizzle 6 tablespoons of the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat the salad evenly. Taste, and add more vinaigrette as needed, plus salt and pepper/
- Transfer the salad to a large platter and sprinkle with the extra grated/shredded ricotta salata and toasted buttered breadcrumbs
To make the Toasted Breadcrumbs
- Place a large non-stick skillet over medium heat with the olive oil and butter. Add the panko bread crumbs and sauté for 2-4 minutes until it starts to turn golden brown. Remove from heat and transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain any excess oil. Use as needed
This was very good. The dressing was a little too on the acidic side for me so I would leave out the lemon juice or cut back next time. I just added a bit more oil to the mix. Great salad for a get together.
I have just ordered my radicchio seeds so I can make this later this year with home grown goods. In the meantime, I will have to use the farmers market to get the delicious ingredients!