pink radicchio & blood orange salad
for your gals or your vals 💘
let me tell you my thoughts and feelings about the month of February — I hate it. however, I must admit that I do love valentine’s day because I (obviously) love pink. and the winter citrus is pretty great this time of year too.
now that I have a reason to wear pink things all the time and make pink foods (as if I needed a reason), I present to you: pink lettuce! yes, pink lettuce. well, pink radicchio, which is actually a member of the endive family. but it is used similarly to lettuce, such as in a salad. this valentines day themed salad has pink radicchio, blood oranges, green olives, and a tasty tangy dressing.
its giving glinda.
the full recipe:
makes 4-6 servings
Ingredients
meatballs:
2 small pink radicchio heads
1 small shallot, sliced into thin rounds
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
salt pepper
2 blood oranges, supremed (or sliced with the pith removed)
1/2 cup pitted castelvetrano olives, drained
parmesan cheese
Tools
large mixing bowl
whisk
Steps
Using a sharp knife, slice off the base of the radicchio heads (about 1/2 inch). Carefully pull the individual leaves apart and submerge in a large bowl of ice water for about 10 minutes. Remove from the water and dry thoroughly.
While the radicchio is soaking, add the sliced shallot rounds to a small bowl with 3 tbsp red wine vinegar. Let soak until needed later on.
To a medium bowl or measuring cup, add 1/2 cup olive oil. Strain the red wine vinegar into the bowl, and set aside the pickled shallots. Add 1 tbsp honey and 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard along with a pinch of salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Optionally, add a squeeze of juice from the leftover blood orange carcass. Whisk thoroughly until fully emulsified.
In a large mixing bowl, add the dry radicchio leaves, the pickled shallots, pitted olives, and the dressing. Using tongs or clean hands, toss to combine.
Serve salad on a large platter or individual plates. Garnish with the blood orange wedges, shaved or grated parmesan cheese, and a few cracks of black pepper.
soaking the radicchio in ice water helps to alleviate some of the natural bitterness, don’t skip this step!
to “supreme” a citrus fruit, take a sharp knife and slice off the ends from the top and bottom of the fruit. stand upright on one side, then take the knife and ‘peel’ or shave off the outer peel and the white pith. by the end of this step, the citrus should look naked. then, take a smaller knife and carefully cut each wedge out by slicing between the natural separations.
here’s a tutorial:
Pink radicchio: This can sometimes be hard to find. Feel free to use regular radicchio, which is a deep purple color, or endive leaves.
Blood orange: You could use grapefruit or regular oranges here for a similar outcome.
Dijon mustard: I think using whole grain mustard here would work very well!
I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you try it, please comment below or tag me on social media!