Winter Radicchio Salad with Blood Orange
Radicchio has been having a major moment in my household lately. I love a bitter leafy veg (hello, arugula!) and radicchio fits the bill. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, radicchio’s beautiful deep red colour is perfect for this time of year. This winter radicchio salad highlights all of the season’s superstars.
How to Make Winter Radicchio Salad with Blood Orange
If I were hosting a Valentine’s Day dinner, this is the salad I would make. The vibrant deep red of radicchio and blood orange gives major Valentine’s Day vibes.
Winter Radicchio Salad Ingredients
As someone who tries their best to eat in accordance with the seasons, this salad is checking all my boxes. Radicchio and blood oranges are both winter superstars that pack a great nutritional and flavourful punch! The sweetness of the blood oranges pairs beautifully with the bitterness of radicchio, the toasty crunch of walnuts, and the saltiness of shaved parmesan cheese.
To make this salad, you will need the following ingredients:
- Radicchio
- Parmesan cheese
- Blood oranges
- Raw walnuts
- Olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- Maple syrup
- Shallot
- Sea salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
*Continue scrolling for the full recipe with measurements.
Prep the Salad Ingredients
Step one for making this winter radicchio salad is to prep the ingredients. Start by preheating your oven to 325°F. Place the raw walnuts on a small baking sheet, then pop them in the oven to toast for 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
While the walnuts are toasting, segment the oranges. Using a sharp knife, remove the peels and pith (the white bit under the peel) from the bloog oranges. Cut the segments out from between the membranses, reserving the membranes for later—we’ll be using these for the blood orange vinagrette! If you’ve never segmented an orange before, a quick tutorial can be found here.
Using your hands, squeeze the reserved membranes over a small measuring cup or jar to remove any of the remaining juice. You should be able to get about 2 tablespoons of juice from this.
Lastly, shave the permesan cheese into thin slices. You can use a sharp knife, the flat side of a box grater, or a vegetable peel to do this. I like to use the latter for even shavings.
Make the Blood Orange Vinagrette
Now it’s time to make the blood orange vinagrette. To the measuring cup/jar with the blood orange juice in it, add the red wine vinegar, olive oil, minced shallot, Dijon mustard, and maple syrup. Whisk well to combine, then season with sea salt and fresh black pepper. I usually don’t supply an exact amount of salt and pepper to use in recipes like this because everyone has a different preference when it comes to seasoning. Start with a little of each and then adjust to your liking 🙂
Assemble the Salad
To assemble the salad, start by washing and drying the radicchio. Remove the leaves from the radicchio, add them to a colander, and give them a good rinse. Use a salad spinner to dry the leaves.
For this salad, I like to tear the radicchio leaves rather than chopping them. This method gives the salad a nice rustic feel. Tear the washed leaves into a large salad bowl and set aside.
Roughly chop the cooled toasted walnuts, then add to the salad bowl along with the segmented orange slices and shaved parmesan cheese. I like to reserve a little of each of the toppings to sprinkle over the salad at the end once it has been tossed, but this is an optional step.
Drizzle the blood orange vinagrette over the salad and give it a good toss until everything is coated with the dressing.
Serve and Enjoy!
Add the reserved salad ingredients on top, then serve! This salad is best when enjoyed right away, but it will keep in the fridge for up to two days.
More Recipes for Valentine’s Day Feast
If I were hosting a Valentine’s Day dinner, these are the recipes I would serve alongside this winter radicchio salad:
Appetizer: Roasted Beet Hummus with vegetable crudite
Side dish: Crispy Garlic Potatoes
Dessert: Flourless Chocolate Cake
If you tried this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and review. I love to hear from you! As always, if you make this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram.
Happy (almost) vday!
xx
Ashley
Winter Radicchio Salad with Blood Orange
Ingredients
- 1 large head radicchio
- 3 large blood oranges, segmented
- 1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese
- 3/4 cup raw walnuts
Blood Orange Vinagrette Dressing
- 2 tablespoons blood orange juice squeezed from orange membranes
- 4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons shallot, minced
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Prepare the Salad Ingredients
- Preheat the oven to 325℉. Place the walnuts on a small baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- While the walnuts are toasting, segment the oranges. Reserve the membranes from the segmented oranges, then squeeze any remaining juice into a small jar or measuring cup. You should be able to get about 2 tablespoons of juice. This is the juice that will be used in the dressing.
Make the Blood Orange Vinagrette
- To the blood orange juice, add the red wine vinegar, olive oil, minced shallot, maple syrup, and Dijon mustard. Season with sea salt and fresh black pepper, then whisk until fully combined.
Assemble the Salad
- Wash and dry the radicchio, then tear the leaves into a large salad bowl. Roughly chop the toasted walnuts and add to the salad bowl along with the blood orange segments and shaved parmesan cheese. I like to reserve a small amount of the walnuts, cheese, and oranges to add on top of the salad after it's been tossed.
- Dress the salad with the blood orange vinagrette, then toss well until everything is mixed and evenly coated in the dressing. Sprinkle the reserved topping on and serve. The salad is best enjoyed immediately but will keep in the fridge for up to two days.