Are you looking for an easy and delicious salad that is made with radicchio? Then check out this recipe for radicchio salad! This simple radicchio salad is made with radicchio, buttery pistachios, creamy gouda cheese, and oranges for a splash of bright citrus flavor. It is all topped off with a creamy avocado vinaigrette that perfectly compliments the bitter undertones of the radicchio.
What is in radicchio salad?
What is in this recipe for radicchio salad? Here are all of the ingredients used to make this radicchio salad.
- Radicchio. You can’t have a radicchio salad without radicchio! If you have never had radicchio before, it is a beautiful leafy vegetable with bright purple leaves. Radicchio is known for its distinct bitter flavor so it is often paired with rich, creamy ingredients that mellow out its bitterness. You will notice that this radicchio salad is packed with creamy ingredients like gouda cheese and avocados.
- Gouda. This radicchio salad is packed with lots of creamy gouda cheese. You should use a gouda cheese with a fresh, creamy flavor. The creaminess of the gouda cheese does a lot of work to counteract the bitterness of the radicchio so you should make sure not to use smoked gouda cheese.
- Pistachios. In addition to the gouda cheese, this radicchio salad is also packed with pistachios. We highly recommend using pre-shelled pistachios, because you will need a lot of pistachios for this recipe. We generally use these Wonderful Pistachios because they are labeled as gluten free.
- Oranges. Some oranges are also added to this salad to give it a fresh pop of citrus flavor. The acidity of the oranges helps to brighten up the flavor of the other ingredients in this salad that are heavier and more creamy.
- Avocado vinaigrette. Finally, an avocado vinaigrette is used to coat this delicious salad. This dressing is made with multiple creamy ingredients including whole avocados and mayo that help to balance out the bitterness of the radicchio leaves.
What is in creamy avocado vinaigrette
What ingredients are used to make this creamy avocado vinaigrette? Here are all the ingredients needed to make the creamy avocado vinaigrette.
- Avocado. You can’t have an avocado vinaigrette without the avocado! A full cup of mashed avocado is used to make this creamy avocado vinaigrette.
- Olive oil. Olive oil is the main oil that is used to make this avocado vinaigrette. We recommend using a high quality olive oil that has a smooth, buttery flavor like this California Olive Ranch olive oil so that the flavor of the olive oil does not outshine the flavor of the avocado.
- White wine vinegar. Some white wine vinegar is used to brighten up the flavor of this otherwise heavy dressing. If you do not have white vinegar, you can use any other vinegar that has a relatively neutral taste. Avoid using rich, syrupy vinegars like balsamic vinegar.
- Mayo. A little bit of mayo is added to this creamy avocado vinaigrette to give the dressing an extra smooth flavor and texture. We often use vegan mayo, but regular mayo works just as well.
- Sugar & salt. Finally, some granulated white sugar and salt are added to enhance the other flavors in this avocado vinaigrette.
How do you make radicchio salad
How do you make this radicchio salad? Here are all the steps you need to take in order to make this radicchio salad.
- Mash the avocado. The first thing you should do when making this radicchio salad is mash the avocado for the avocado vinaigrette. You should use around 1 cup of mashed avocado to make your dressing. This will require 1 – 2 avocados depending on the size of the avocados you use.
- Make the avocado vinaigrette. After you mash the avocado, mix it with the rest of the ingredients for the avocado vinaigrette to complete the dressing.
- Slice the radicchio into thin strips. After you make your dressing, it is time to slice the radicchio. After washing and cleaning the radicchio, slice the head of radicchio into long thin strips.
- Grate the cheese. After you have sliced the radicchio, it is time to prepare the cheese. The cheese should be grated using a cheese grater until you have around 2 1/2 cups of grated cheese.
- Chop the oranges. After you grate the cheese, peel the oranges and chop the orange slices roughly into thirds or quarters.
- Combine the ingredients. After you have prepared all of the ingredients, all that is left is to combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and toss the salad. For best results, we recommend letting the salad sit for at least 15 minutes so that the dressing soaks into the other ingredients.
How to store radicchio salad
How do you store leftover radicchio salad? One of the great things about radicchio is that it is rather fibrous which means that it keeps better in the refrigerator than many other greens. Radicchio does not wilt as fast as greens like spinach or arugula so you can put the salad on the dressing even if you plan to have leftovers.
Leftover radicchio salad should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. We recommend eating that salad within 1 -2 days after making it. For best results, you may want to wait to add the pistachios until you are about to eat the salad because they do sometimes absorb water and become soft if they sit in the dressing for too long.
Radicchio salad
Ingredients
- 1 head radicchio
- 1 cup pistachios (shelled)
- 3 oranges
- 2 1/2 cups gouda (shredded)
Avocado vinaigrette
- 1 cup avocado (mashed)
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp white granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp mayo
Instructions
- Mash the avocados then combine the mashed avocado with the rest of the ingredients for the avocado vinaigrette dressing.
- Wash and dry the radicchio then chop the head of radicchio into long, thin slices.
- Grate the gouda cheese with a cheese grater.
- Peel the oranges and chop the orange slices into thirds or quarters.
- Combine all of the ingredients for the radicchio salad.
Substitutions for this radicchio salad
- With wine vinegar. If you do not have white wine vinegar then you can use another vinegar with a relatively neutral flavor like apple cider vinegar or white vinegar. Avoid using rich, syrupy vinegars like balsamic.
- Mayo. If you have an egg allergy in the house then feel free to substitute the mayo with vegan mayo. We often make this substitution ourselves!
- Oranges. If you do not usually keep oranges around but you do keep a similar fruit like clementines then you can use that fruit as a replacement for oranges.
