Radicchio Salad with Pears, Blackberries, and Manchego Cheese Recipe
This Radicchio Salad features crisp and slightly bitter radicchio leaves balanced by the sweetness of pears and blackberries, sharpness from manchego cheese, and a bright, tangy blood orange vinaigrette. It’s a refreshing and vibrant salad perfect as a light lunch or side dish.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- ¾ pound radicchio (2 heads, soaked)
- 1 pear (quartered and thinly sliced)
- 1 cup blackberries
- 2 ½ ounces manchego cheese (shaved)
Blood Orange Vinaigrette
- 1 small blood orange (juiced, about ¼ cup) or use orange juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons stone ground mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Prepare Radicchio: In a large bowl filled with cold water and ice, cut the radicchio into quarters and remove the core. Then cut each quarter in half again. Submerge the radicchio leaves in the ice water and, using your hands, separate and gently squeeze the leaves to help release their bitterness. Let them soak for at least 15 minutes.
- Dry Radicchio: Remove the radicchio from the ice water and dry thoroughly using a salad spinner or kitchen towel. You can prepare this step ahead of time and store the dried leaves in a ziplock bag for 4-5 days.
- Make Blood Orange Vinaigrette: In a jar with a lid, combine the blood orange juice (or substitute orange juice), stone ground mustard, kosher salt, honey, and olive oil. Close the lid and shake vigorously until all ingredients are emulsified and well combined.
- Assemble Salad: Toss the radicchio leaves with the dressing, massaging the dressing into the leaves for better flavor absorption. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt if needed. Add the sliced pears, blackberries, and shaved manchego cheese, and gently toss the salad again. Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately.
Notes
- Soaking radicchio in ice water helps reduce its natural bitterness and crisps up the leaves.
- You can prepare the dried radicchio leaves in advance and store them for several days to save time later.
- Using fresh blood orange juice adds vibrant color and flavor, but regular orange juice can be used as a substitute.
- Manchego cheese adds a nutty, sharp flavor, but you may substitute it with a similar hard cheese if desired.
Keywords: radicchio salad, blood orange vinaigrette, pear salad, blackberry salad, manchego cheese salad, Mediterranean salad, vegetarian salad
