A Simple Charred Radicchio Salad To Impress Your Guests
You are probably familiar with radicchio as the purple leaf that gets chopped up into store-bought salad blends. Because it’s a winter plant, radicchio is bitter and has a texture that can withstand colder temps. But once it’s grilled and dressed with a crème fraîche vinaigrette, it’s really amazing. Serve it alongside some of our super simple sides, like Bacon Wrapped Asparagus, Roasted Fennel, or Roasted Onions.
Ingredients For Our Fall Radicchio Salad
Radicchio cored and cut into 8 wedges – We’re not separating the radicchio heads into leaves for this recipe because we’re grilling the wedges.
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Sherry vinegar
Shallot, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
Minced fresh thyme, plus more for serving
Dijon mustard
Honey
Crème fraîche
Chopped hazelnuts, toasted
How to Make Grilled Radicchio Salad
How to cut radicchio for salad: Cut the core end from the radicchio head, and then slice each head into 8 wedges with a sharp knife. If you’re working with smaller radicchio, 4 wedges might suffice.
Preheat the grill on medium-high or heat a grill pan over medium-high heat.
Brush the radicchio all over with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Grill the radicchio wedges until lightly charred, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Whisk the dressing together in a medium bowl.
Spread the crème fraîche on a serving platter.
Assemble the salad. Add half of the grilled radicchio on top of the crème fraîche, then drizzle with half of the vinaigrette and sprinkle with half of the hazelnuts. Repeat with the remaining radicchio, vinaigrette, and hazelnuts.
Sprinkle with thyme and drizzle with honey to serve.
How to Store Leftovers + Tips
Leftovers are best eaten within a day of preparation. The grilled radicchio doesn’t hold up much longer than that. We don’t recommend freezing leftovers.
This salad could be prepared raw, but the warmth is really crispy and flavorful. If you don’t have a grill pan, get a cast iron skillet ripping hot and sear the radicchio.
What is crème fraîche? Crème fraîche, or “fresh cream” in English, is a French dairy product that can be found in the dairy aisle of most grocery stores. Look for it near the cream cheese and sour cream.
What's A Good Substitute For Crème Fraîche? Sour cream is the closest equivalent to crème fraîche but it doesn’t have the same velvety texture. Sour cream is tangier than crème fraîche, and has a lower fat content. Mascarpone is similar, but it doesn’t have the same acidity of Crème fraîche.
More Great Salad Recipes From The Modern Proper
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