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I’ve always admired the rows of radicchio at the farmers market; it’s one of the most beautiful vegetables I’ve ever seen. But every time I’ve cooked with it in the past, it’s been an unmitigated disaster. Until now! I’ve cracked the code and I’m sharing it with you! This Blood Orange and Radicchio Panzanella salad will draw you in with its beautiful pink and orange colors and keep you eating more with a delicate balance of flavors.
The Taming of the Radicchio
Taming the ultra bitter flavor of radicchio is a much bigger challenge than what Petrucchio had in The Taming of the Shrew. Yes, I am a dork. But moving on, radicchio is beautiful and begs to be used. And then it rewards you by leaving a bitter metallic flavor in your mouth that lingers. Like you just swallowed a mouthful of pennies.
But, after tons of experimentation, I have found a way to tame that bitterness. The compounds responsible for the bitter flavor are water soluble, so you’ll be able to leech out the excessive bitterness through an ice water bath. Soak the radicchio while you’re prepping the rest of the panzanella salad and you’ll be loving radicchio in no time!
Farmers Market Ingredients and Substitutions
Radicchio
Ever see that one vegetable that looks like a perfect, small, deep pink cabbage? Yeah, that’s not cabbage, that’s radicchio! Don’t let it’s beauty blind you, though. If not treated properly, radicchio will turn your dish into an unpleasant bitter disaster. But do not let that scare you off! If you do the ice bath soak while the bread is toasting, you’ll be rewarded with a mildly bitter, crunchy vegetable that pairs well with the salty vinaigrette and sweet blood oranges.
Did you see the guide I wrote up about all the different types of chicories? Radicchio is a member of this family, so you’ll find lots of good information on possible substitutes and all the different varieties you’ll see at the farmers market.
Blood Oranges
Blood oranges special varieties of sweet oranges with large amounts of anthocyanins, the same phytochemical responsible for the color in blueberries.
The types of blood oranges you’ll see at the farmers market will vary as the season changes. Cara Cara oranges are the best substitute if you cannot find blood oranges. You can substitute with navel oranges if blood oranges are no longer available, but they might not be as sweet as the blood oranges.
Sourdough Bread
I am not a baker, so I love getting my sourdough bread from my local baker at the farmers market. A fun fact about sourdough: the flavor is highly dependent on the yeast varieties in the area where the bread is made. Sourdough made in Alaska will taste different from the sourdough in San Francisco!
Tips and Tricks
It looks complicated to supreme or segment an orange, but the technique is pretty simple once you get the hang of it. Check out the step by step guide by The Cookful here.
If you want thin, even slices of radicchio and red onion, I highly suggest using a mandoline. Just don’t forget to wear cut-proof gloves. I don’t want you to lose any fingers in case you slip. Yes, I wear them myself, and no, I don’t care if they look weird. I like having my fingers.
Serving Suggestions
Blood Orange and Radicchio Panzanella is perfect for date night. It’s both fancy to look at and the colors are sure to impress. Serve it alongside this Roasted Chicken from Serious Eats for a great night in!
What about the leftovers?
While this blood orange and radicchio salad is extremely tasty, it’s not the kind of salad you can make ahead. The sourdough croutons will soak up the vinaigrette and become soggy. It’ll still taste good, but the textures will be off.
Blood Orange and Radicchio Panzanella
This Blood Orange and Radicchio Panzanella salad will draw you in with its beautiful pink and orange colors and keep you eating more with a delicate balance of flavors.
Ingredients
- ⅓ loaf Sourdough bread, torn into bite sized pieces (approximately 2 cups)
- ½ head of radicchio, sliced thinly
- 2 blood oranges
- 2 tbsp champagne vinegar
- 2 tsp capers, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp stone ground mustard
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 carrot, sliced into thin ribbons
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Spread the sourdough pieces onto a sheet pan in a single layer, and bake until golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- While the croutons are toasting, prepare the radicchio. Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water, then add the sliced radicchio to the ice bath. Submerge the radicchio and allow to soak for 15 minutes. Drain, and then spin dry in a salad spinner.
- In the meantime, supreme the blood oranges, Set aside the segments, and squeeze the juice into a small bowl.
- Add the champagne vinegar, capers, mustard, and olive oil to the bowl with the blood orange juice. Mix together thoroughly to make the vinaigrette. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Toss the carrots, red onions, radicchio, sourdough croutons and blood orange supreme slices together in a large bowl. Add the vinaigrette and toss to coat the salad evenly.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 624Total Fat: 38gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 31gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 701mgCarbohydrates: 63gFiber: 6gSugar: 18gProtein: 11g
Calculated nutrition values are not always accurate, but can provide a general idea for planning purposes. Please do not rely on this information as it may not be complete. Recipes that include unusual ingredients, especially scrap ingredients, will have the least accurate information with this calculator.
