Give Radicchio a Chance This Thanksgiving
Once you go radicchio, you’ll never go back.
We need to talk about something that is not called turkey, dressing, or sweet potatoes.
This Thanksgiving, whether you know it or not, you will want a salad. Your body will be happy that you have a salad on the table, and I have one that is seasonal and colorful.
The centerpiece of the salad is radicchio (RUH-DEE-KEE-OH—say it fast!). What do you know about this maroon orb sitting in your produce section? It is most likely ignored by you and other shoppers while broccoli, asparagus, and kale are chosen first, second, and third like the cool kids in a pick-up basketball game.
Give radicchio a chance.
Radicchio is a bitter lettuce, make no mistake, but that gives you an opportunity to work with bold flavors while doing something good for your body during this otherwise punishing eating season. Its assertiveness should be seen as a way to expand your culinary horizons. Now is when radicchio is at its best; it fully matures and gains it signature deep red color when temperatures dip into the 40s.
So give the underutilized vegetable a place alongside the turkey, dressing, potatoes, and pecan pie that will grace tables next Thursday. I designed this salad to balance radicchio’s inherent bitterness: apple for sweetness, pumpkin seeds for toasty flavor, garlic for deep, earthy notes, and dill for a complimentary herbal flavor. Apple cider vinegar, light oil, and mustard round out the salad to make it hit on all cylinders.
The prep for this salad is minimal. It starts with good ingredients.
Radicchio Salad with Apples and Dill
Serves 4
This is a warm salad, which is accomplished simply by warming the vinaigrette and dressing your ingredients. Hearty radicchio is perfect for this approach, whereas baby greens will wilt too easily.
½ cup toasted and salted pumpkin seeds
1 head radicchio, quartered lengthwise
1 tsp. kosher salt plus more for seasoning
1 Granny Smith apple, quartered lengthwise, core removed
1/3 cup canola oil
1 clove garlic, mashed to a paste
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
6-8 sprigs dill, leaves picked from stems and roughly chopped
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place the pumpkin seeds on a small tray and toast 5-7 minutes. (This will be just to warm and refresh, as they’re already toasted.)
Remove the white core from each wedge of radicchio and slice each crosswise as thinly as possible. Place in a large bowl, sprinkle with 1 tsp. kosher salt, and mix well. Slice the apple as thinly as possible and add in a pile just to the side of the radicchio. Set aside.
In a medium skillet, warm the oil and garlic gently. Meanwhile, whisk together the vinegar and mustard. When the garlic is aromatic and warm but not boiling or smoking, remove it from the heat and whisk in the vinegar mixture.
Drizzle some of the dressing onto the apples, then onto the rest of the salad. Add the toasted pumpkin seeds and toss. Season with salt, if needed, and add black pepper if you desire. Garnish with dill and serve.
The finished salad, ever-so-wilted.
Now, all the other Thanksgiving stuff:
Deep-Fried Turkey
Mashed Potatoes
Brussels Sprouts
Do you include salads on the Thanksgiving table?
