Winter Radicchio Salad

I typically shy away from salads in winter. Any type of cold food just doesn’t feel good for my body when it’s cold and damp outside. This makes a lot of sense from a traditional Chinese medicine or Ayurvedic perspective. But there’s one exception to my no-salad-in-winter preference. And that is chicory. I love all the chicories, which are basically a variety of leafy green that resembles lettuce, but they are more hearty and bitter and thrive in cooler damp climates. Chicories of all varieties are very popular in regions of Italy, where most of my ancestors are from, so it’s no surprise that I love their bitter goodness. Radicchio is the chicory featured in this salad. Radicchio is quite bitter and while some may find it a bit too intense, it’s good to realize how nourishing that bitterness is for the body. Bitter flavors stimulate our digestion and help the liver break down fats and detoxify. The key to a really great radicchio salad is a very pungent dressing with sweet additions like fruit, to offset the bitterness from the greens. The flavors in this salad go really well together and I could eat it all winter long.

Ingredients

For the Salad:

1 large head of radicchio, cut into bite sized pieces

1 bosc pear, thinly sliced

1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced

1 avocado, sliced

1/2 cup toasted pecans

crumbled blue cheese, to taste

For the Dressing:
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation

1. Begin by combining the radicchio, pear and fennel in a large bowl.

2. Make the dressing by combining all the dressing ingredients into a jar with a lid. Shake the jar well until the dressing is emulsified. Set aside.

3. Toss the radicchio, pear and fennel with the dressing. Taste and adjust for salt or more acid. Don’t be afraid to add more salt and acid if needed. Turn the salad out onto a large platter and top with the avocado slices, crumbled blue cheese, and toasted peacans. Serve immediately. If you’re making this salad ahead of time, wait until the last minute before adding the dressing, otherwise the salad will get soggy.