This radicchio salad is a much needed pick-me-up during these winter months. Bright and vibrant, with lots of interesting flavors and textures. The radicchio is combined with crispy bacon, roasted hazelnuts, crisp radishes, crumbled blue cheese, and an apricot vinaigrette. You can include this salad in so many different dinner menus – pairs perfectly with steak & potatoes, or even alongside roast chicken.
radicchio salad – the inspiration
Radicchio always offers a lovely contrast to the less vibrant produce of winter. Its bright shades of red and pink are very welcome on any dinner table this time of year.
Radicchio, a member of the chicory family, is a staple in Italian cuisine and known for its slightly bitter and peppery bite—especially when served raw in salads. Its bold flavor is beautifully balanced by bright, sweet, and rich ingredients.
In this dish, a tangy vinaigrette, juicy apricots, crispy bacon, and creamy blue cheese work together to mellow its bitterness.
One step that’s good to take when serving radicchio raw is allowing it to soak in cold water for just about 30 minutes. It’s a simple step that goes a long way in helping mellow the radicchio’s astringent bite. You can do this a day ahead of time and let the radicchio air dry in the fridge overnight.
Or, as the radicchio soaks, use this time to prep the remaining ingredients. In the oven, you’ll roast bacon until crisp and hazelnuts until golden. A little bit of the bacon fat is used in the vinaigrette, which helps richen the sweet and tart flavors of the apricot jam and dijon mustard.
The vinaigrette also has dried apricots in it, which add such a tasty, chewy bite to the salad. You’ll want to try and find dried Turkish apricots. They’re dark in color and have the best taste for this recipe.
Since every salad is only made better with the addition of a cheese, I’ve added blue cheese as a final touch for this radicchio salad. The pungent flavor and creamy texture of blue cheese is really nice here with the rest of the flavors going on.
I think this salad would pair best with a simple meat and potatoes kind of dinner – something like seared ribeye or roast chicken with whipped or roasted potatoes alongside.
PrintRadicchio Salad with Bacon & Apricot Vinaigrette
a simple yet flavorful radicchio salad with crispy bacon, roasted hazelnuts, radishes, crumbled blue cheese, and a sweet & tangy apricot vinaigrette
servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 small head of radicchio (approximately ¾ lb)
- ½ lb bacon
- ¼ cup hazelnuts
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp apricot jam
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- ¼ cup neutral oil
- ¼ cup diced dried turkish apricots
- kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced on a mandolin
- ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Cut the radicchio in half lengthwise. Trim the ends, remove the core, and slice the radicchio into ½” strips. Submerge the radicchio in a bowl of ice water. Let soak for 30 minutes (this removes some bitterness).
- Meanwhile, lay the bacon in an even layer onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Roast for 25-30 minutes, or until crisp. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat.
- As the bacon cooks, add the hazelnuts to a small oven-proof skillet. Roast for about 20 minutes, or until deeply golden. Let them cool slightly. Place them in the center of a kitchen towel, wrap them up, and use the towel to rub off the skins. Roughly chop the hazelnuts.
- For the vinaigrette, add the white wine vinegar, apricot jam, dijon mustard, and liquid bacon fat to a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Slowly stream in the oil, whisking continuously. Stir in the dried apricots. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Drain the radicchio and get it as dry as possible (you can pat it dry with paper towels, spin it in a salad spinner, or if you have time, allow it to air dry).
- In a mixing bowl, add the radicchio, radishes, and about ¾ of the vinaigrette. Toss well to combine. Season with an extra pinch of salt. Plate the salad on a large serving plate. Top with the bacon, hazelnuts, blue cheese, and remaining vinaigrette.
