I’ve made a lot of recipes over the years, and but this may be my favorite. Radicchio is tossed is a sumptuous mixture of balsamic vinegar, chili crisp, and black garlic, resulting in a sticky sweet and deeply savory glaze that perfectly balances radicchio’s bitterness. Did I mention its vegan and gluten free?
Recipe Notes
- This salad has very few ingredients, so the quality of each truly matters.
- You want an aged, syrupy, balsamic vinegar, as the sweetness and texture is integral to the dressing.
- Black garlic, aka fermented garlic, has a wonderful molasses flavor profile. You can find black garlic at many stores these days, or online.
Radicchio Salad with Balsamic, Chili Crisp, and Black Garlic
Course: SidesDifficulty: Easy4
servings10
minutesRadicchio is tossed is a sumptuous mixture of balsamic vinegar, chili crisp, and black garlic, resulting in a sticky sweet and deeply savory glaze that perfectly balances radicchio’s bitterness.
Ingredients
1 pound radicchio
2.5 tbsp chili crisp (I like laoganma)
4 tbsp high quality aged balsamic vinegar (you want a sweet, syrupy vinegar here. Thin, highly acidic, balsamic won’t be the same. 18 years aged is fantastic)
1.25 tbsp sherry vinegar
7-8 cloves black garlic, finely minced or pounded into a paste
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Rough cut the radicchio into pieces and wash thoroughly. Spin dry in a salad spinner.
- Whisk together the rest of the ingredients. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Dip a piece of radicchio into the dressing and taste. You know the dressing is to your liking when you just barely taste the bitterness of the radicchio coming through. Adjust the dressing if needed.
- Slowly start adding the dressing into the bowl of the radicchio while tossing with tongs. Start with just half the dressing, then taste a leaf. Continue adding more dressing until the leaves are dressed to your liking. You may not need all the dressing.
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