Warm radicchio and arugula is a grilled salad recipe that you need to add to your salad repertoire. Grilling the radicchio softens and reduces its bitterness while the addition of balsamic sweetens everything up.
Are you someone who passes through the produce isle, looks at the beautiful color of radicchio lettuce but passes on buying it because you just don’t know what to do with it? Maybe you have never even tasted it so you don’t plan it in your weekly shopping.
Well, if you are looking to try out new produce or need a radicchio salad recipe, then this is the perfect starter dish to begin with in the kitchen!
What is Radicchio?
Radicchio is a beautiful and tasty purple chicory plant that is similar to lettuce but that can also be quite bitter so you’ll want to tame that. There are a few ways to decrease bitterness in vegetables. You can roast or grill it or add an ingredient that will offset it.
This salad mixes a roasted radicchio with a non roasted arugula and the dressing is the warm balsamic that comes from the roasting part! It essentially uses all the techniques to reduce bitterness of the radicchio and makes it taste amazing.
You can either grill or roast the radicchio for this recipe. If you grill it then just make sure to add your balsamic vinegar to the radicchio as soon as it comes of the grill to get the vinegar nice and warmed.
This salad is served warm or at room temperature depending on how long you let the radicchio cool after coming out of the oven.
Additions to add to this roasted radicchio salad:
This salad is really amazing as is but you could certainly add your own touches to it to make it your own. Some suggestions of things you can add to the salad are:
- Cubed or shredded Italian cheese with it.
- Bacon
- Apples or Pears
- Roasted Acorn Squash
- Roasted Chickpeas
No matter what you choose, I guarantee you’ll be incorporating radicchio into your shopping routine after trying this out!
Warm Radicchio and Arugula Salad
Ingredients
- 1 head of radicchio If you are not familiar with radicchio, they are smaller than your normal heads of lettuce and have a deep purple color
- 1 small bag of arugula
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp good olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 4 tbsp good shredded or cubed Parmesan
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees
- rinse and dry your arugula and radicchio
- cut the stem end off of your head of radicchio and then cut the head in half. Now cut out the thick core center out and discard
- Slice each half of the radicchio in half and separate the leaves out on to a large sheet pan
- Drizzle with your olive oil and balsamic vinegar
- sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over the top
- Place in the oven to roast for about 10-15 minutes or until you start to see the radicchio brown on the edges but still has some shape.
- remove from the oven to cool for a few minutes
- In a large bowl add your arugula
- now scoop out your radicchio from the sheet pan and place on top of your arugula
- pour the balsamic vinegar and olive oil from the sheet pan over top of the salad
- gently toss
- If you are using any Parmesan you can add that now
- serve immediately
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