This salad is my love letter to radicchio, a bright pink light in a sea of drab winter produce. If you’re unfamiliar, radicchio is a leafy vegetable that can be eaten raw like you would other leafy greens, but it’s also sturdy enough for cooked preparations like you might do with cabbage. 

Its flavor profile is similar to arugula in that it’s slightly peppery and bitter, but it has a great crunch to it like you’d get in romaine. Which is honestly like the best of both worlds IMO 

Since it’s slightly bitter, I like to balance it out with a vinaigrette that leans on the sweeter side. So here I did a balsamic vinaigrette that has some sweetness from the balsamic and also some honey. I also added some fresh figs for extra sweetness.  

Wishbone Kitchen

Radicchio, figs, blue cheese, and balsamic

Ingredients

1 lb assorted radicchio
4 oz blue cheese
8 figs, quartered

For the Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 medium garlic clove, finely grated
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
⅔ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

For the vinaigrette, combine all of the ingredients in a jar, seal closed, and shake until emulsified. For the salad, tear off the leaves of the radicchio and thoroughly wash and dry them. Transfer to a large mixing bowl along with a few tbsp of  dressing, a pinch of kosher salt, and fresh cracked black pepper. Toss to coat. Transfer the radicchio to a serving plate and layer in the figs and blue cheese. Serve with additional dressing on the side.
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