A seasonal radicchio salad with shrimp and citrus herb vinaigrette to welcome in the winter months! This salad is bright & refreshing, with plenty of rich flavor to complement the tangy dressing. The roasted shrimp adds a hearty element and turns this salad into a very satisfying meal.
radicchio salad – the inspiration
Winter can often get overlooked when it comes to seasonal produce, but it has so much to offer. One of my favorite ingredients to work with this time of year is radicchio. It’s a type of chicory that’s commonly found in Italian cooking.
The flavor is intense and somewhat bitter/spicy. But when marinated or cooked, it mellows out. And the color and crunch it gives to a dish is just lovely.
With radicchio as the base, I pulled in other Italian-inspired ingredients to bring this salad to life.
You’ll start by making the citrus herb vinaigrette. I’ve been making a version of this vinaigrette for years, and it’s the perfect balance to the bitter radicchio – full of shallots, lots of citrus zest and juice, red wine vinegar, a little honey, olive oil, and herbs.
I’m using parsley and tarragon, but any soft herbs like basil, chervil, or chives would be great in there as well.
It’s important to toss the radicchio (and shaved fennel) with some of the vinaigrette about 30 minutes before assembling the salad so that the vegetables can soften and become infused with flavor.
While the radicchio and fennel marinate, you can get the shrimp marinating in some of the vinaigrette as well and then quickly roast it in the oven until pink & juicy.
Everything comes together with some baby greens, briny olives, rich toasted pine nuts, and a generous grating of salty parmesan. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over top, and you’ve got a very delicious salad to dig into.
I’d serve this on its own for lunch or add on a soup (maybe this tuscan ribollita soup) for dinner!
PrintRadicchio Salad with Shrimp & Citrus Herb Vinaigrette
radicchio salad with roasted shrimp, shaved fennel, olives, toasted pine nuts, parmesan, and a citrus herb vinaigrette
servings: 4
Ingredients
Citrus Herb Vinaigrette
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tsp orange zest
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
- kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
Radicchio Salad
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- 1 small head (or ½ lb) radicchio, cored + thinly sliced
- 1 medium fennel bulb, cored + thinly sliced (or shaved on a mandolin)
- 1 lb jumbo shrimp, peeled + deveined + pat dry
- 4 loosely packed cups (or 2 oz) mixed baby greens
- ½ cup halved castelvetrano olives
- ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- tarragon leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- For the vinaigrette, combine the shallot, lemon zest, orange zest, orange juice, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and honey in a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking until emulsified. Stir in the parsley and tarragon. Season with salt and cracked black pepper to taste.
- For the salad, add the pine nuts to a sheet pan. Toast in the oven for about 8 minutes, giving the pan a shake halfway through. Transfer the pine nuts to a plate to cool, reserving the parchment on the sheet pan. Increase the oven temperature to 425°F.
- Add the radicchio, fennel, and a ½ cup of vinaigrette to a large mixing bowl. Toss to combine. Let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the shrimp and a ¼ cup of vinaigrette to another bowl. Toss to combine. Let marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to the sheet pan. Roast for 6 minutes, or until pink and cooked through.
- To assemble, add the greens and olives to the bowl of radicchio. Toss to combine. Arrange the salad in a shallow serving bowl or on a platter. Top with the roasted shrimp and remaining vinaigrette. Garnish with the pine nuts (roughly chopped), parmesan, tarragon, and cracked black pepper.
