Grilling lettuce? In the winter no less? Yes! A resounding yes! Those char-grilled bits of greens are great & blood orange season is in the heart of winter so really it’s a must do for this time of year. This Grilled Radicchio Citrus Salad is great light meal, side salad or would serve one as a big ass salad. Create as you see fit. It hits all the flavor components. Sweet, but a little sour, bitter, but fresh & light. And the textures! You’ve got crisp lettuce, soft, juicy citrus rounds & crunchy bits of walnuts & red onion. The perfect balance for any meal!
Have you tried a blood orange? Let’s just appreciate their beauty shall we. How pretty are they? Beautiful coloring aside, they aren’t all that different from a regular orange. Maybe a little less sour & a bit more floral but in general they are the same in taste. They do have less seeds which makes it a lot easier to use these in this salad than a standard orange, but really any citrus will work. The only drawback I’ve found is one that is purely on me. That blood red coloring is deadly to a white shirt. Trust me! If you are a careless juicer like me be forewarned. Dark clothes or an apron are best.
Grilled Radicchio Citrus Salad
Ingredients
- 2 small heads radicchio
- 2-3 blood oranges sub with orange, tangerine, grapefruit
- 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp fresh mint leaves
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Candied Walnuts
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp vegan butter
Citrus Vinaigrette
- 2 tbsp juice from blood orange sub orange juice or grapefruit juice
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp vegan honey or agave
Instructions
- Prepare the citrus. Slice off the top & bottom. Gently slice down the sides, removing the peel. Slice the citrus into rounds. See notes.Slice the red onion.
- Prepare the radicchio by slicing into quarters, keeping the core intact so that it holds its shape. Peel away any exterior leaves that have seen better days.
- Heat your grill (see notes) to a medium high heat. Lightly brush the cut radicchio sides with olive oil. Place cut side down & grill for 2-3 minutes per side. You want a slight wilt & grill marks if possible. Remove from heat & set aside.
- While the radicchio is grilling make the candied walnuts. In a small non-stick pan over medium heat add the walnuts, sugar & butter. Let the sugar & butter melt. Once they do, stir constantly to coat the walnuts. Cook for 2-3 minutes more. Remove from heat & set aside.
- Make the vinaigrette (see notes) by combining all ingredients. Whisk well to incorporate.
- Assemble the salad. Arrange radicchio wedges & citrus rounds on your plate. Sprinkle some red onion, fresh mint leaves & the candied walnuts on each plate. Drizzle the vinaigrette over each plate.
