A classic and refreshing Italian Radicchio Salad with chickpeas, fennel, oranges, and parmesan! Served and marinated in an Orange Vinaigrette, which perfectly complements the slight bitterness of Radicchio and the sweetness of fresh oranges.
If you love a classic Italian salad, try our Caesar Salad with Traditional Caesar Dressing or Italian Green Bean Salad!
Jump to:
Why This Salad
There are a ton of simple salads to choose from, but this one is really easy to make and has a unique flavor. A radicchio salad has a unique bitter flavor that pairs perfectly with sweet dressings like orange vinaigrette.
Marinating it over the course of an hour helps dull some of the bitterness as the radicchio absorbs the sweet flavor. With more bitter vegetables like kale and radicchio, you need to help reduce the bitter flavors somehow. With our Italian Lacinato Kale Recipe (Tuscan), we braise the kale with cherry tomatoes and lemon, while in our Kale and Cannellini Bean Salad, we massage the kale with olive oil.
This is a really bright winter salad with beautifully balanced flavors of bitterness and sweetness. Finished with parmesan and walnuts, it has a delicious nutty and buttery finish.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Orange Vinaigrette. This delicious orange vinaigrette is made with fresh orange juice, olive oil, shallots, dijon, and white balsamic vinaigrette! See directions below.
- Radicchio. Radicchio is a bitter leafy vegetable similar to cabbage or iceberg lettuce. Its classic bitter flavor makes it a unique ingredient for salads to pair with sweet flavors like oranges!
- Fennel. Fennel adds a smoky anise flavor to the salad, like licorice.
- Chickpeas. I like to add a little heartiness to this salad with chickpeas, which can be substituted with cannellini beans.
- Orange. It's essential to peel and cut the orange correctly so that it has no pith or peel. See instructions below for the best way to cut the orange for texture.
- Walnuts. Walnuts are perfect for making this a Fall salad. Substitute with pistachios or pine nuts. Pine nuts are a great addition to fennel, and we use them in Roasted Carrots and Fennel.
- Parmigiana. Topping the salad with a ton of parmigiana adds a slight nutty and creamy flavor. It's a perfect addition to the dressing.
*Please see the recipe card below for more information on the ingredients.
Would you like to save this recipe?
I'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
How to Make a Radicchio Salad
Step 1: Zest an entire lemon for the dressing. Then slice it in half and squeeze all of the juice from the orange.
Step 2: Combine Fresh orange juice, honey, dijon, minced shallots, salt, pepper, and orange zest in a small bowl.
Step 3: Whisk the dressing, slowly drizzling the extra virgin olive oil in until you have added all of the olive oil.
Step 4: Prepare the orange by slicing off the ends. Place it on a flat surface and carefully slice off the peel and pith. Then, using a sharp knife, cut the membranes around each segment of the orange (2 cuts per segment). Remove each segment and set aside.
Step 5: Slice the fennel as thin as possible. The closer to a shave, the better for flavor and texture.
Step 6: In a large bowl, combine radicchio, fennel, and chickpeas. Toss with the orange vinaigrette. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Step 7: Top with walnuts, orange, and parmigiana when serving. Serve cold! Serve with our Italian Chicken Cutlets or Classic Pork Chop Milanese.
This bright winter salad perfectly combines the bitterness of radicchio with buttery walnuts, sweet orange vinaigrette, and the salty shavings of parmesan.
Pro-Tips
- Shave the fennel as thin as possible to release as much flavor as possible.
- Radicchio can be bitter. Marinating it in the orange vinaigrette will reduce some of that bitterness.
- Cutting the oranges so that they have no pith or membrane will remove any unwanted texture from them.
Recipe FAQs
No, the flavor of the orange vinaigrette is probably too sweet for just using iceberg lettuce. The bitterness of the radicchio is needed to combine with the sweetness of the orange vinaigrette.
You don't necessarily want to remove it, but we do marinate it in a sweet orange vinaigrette to help dull some of the bitterness.
I think this sweet salad is best without meat. You could add some goat cheese to make it a bit creamier.
Serving Suggestions
This classic radicchio salad is perfect to serve along with some hearty Italian main dishes. It's an easy side salad you can make ahead of time to enjoy with some delicious meals.
- Pork. Serve with some authentic Italian pork classics like Italian Cast Iron Pork Tenderloin, Grilled Stuffed Pork Chops, or Bourbon Peach Glazed Pork Chops!
- Beef. It can be served on a Sunday afternoon with Authentic Bolognese or Authentic Italian Sunday Sauce with Classic Italian Fried Meatballs or Authentic Italian Braciole
- Chicken. Make it a light meal by serving with PERFECT Cast Iron Chicken Breast, Restaurant-Style Chicken Francese, or The BEST Chicken Piccata
- Fish. You can have this salad along with some seafood dishes on the table, like Linguine with Clams or Garlic Sage Seared Scallops.
More Hearty Salads
Please leave a comment and star rating below in the recipe card! I love to hear what you think of our recipes. Feel free to tag us on Instagram @vindelgiudice.
📖 Recipe
Italian Radicchio Salad
Equipment
- 1 large bowl
- 1 cutting board
- 1 knife
- 1 cheese grater
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 whisk
Ingredients
- 1 head radicchio, chopped into bite sized pieces
- ½ bulb fennel, shaved or sliced thin
- 1 14 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 orange
- ⅓ cup walnuts, chopped
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese
Orange Vinaigrette
- ½ cup EVOO
- 1 shallot, minced
- 3 tablespoon orange juice, fresh squeezed
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 2 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
- ½ tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients for the dressing except for the extra virgin olive oil in a bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil while constantly whisking.
- Prepare the orange by slicing off the ends. Place it on a flat surface and carefully slice off the peel and pith. Then, using a sharp knife, cut the membranes around each segment of orange (2 cuts per segment). Remove each segment and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine radicchio, fennel, and chickpeas.
- Toss the salad with the dressing and let it marinate for up to an hour. Marinating the salad will make the radicchio less bitter.
- Top with walnuts, oranges, and parmigiana. Serve cold!
Notes
- Shave the fennel as thin as possible to release as much flavor as possible.
- Radicchio can be bitter. Marinating it in the orange vinaigrette will reduce some of that bitterness.
- Cutting the oranges so that they have no pith or membrane will remove any unwanted texture from them.
Vinny says
This one is a really uinque salad. My wife and I really enjoyed this radicchio salad! Let us know what you think if you leave a review!