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 little recipe inspiration with this lettuce (technically it is a chicory like endive), than this is the perfect starter dish to begin with in the kitchen!
Radicchio is a beautiful and tasty purple chicory plant that is similar to lettuce but that can be quite bitter so you’ll want to tame that. 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 is served warm or at room temperature depending on how long you let the radicchio cool after coming out of the oven.
This is really easy and very full of flavor and it can be served just with the two types of lettuce or you can add some cubed or shredded Italian cheese with it. Either way 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
