Warm Radicchio, Bacon and Blue Cheese Salad
This warm radicchio, bacon and blue cheese salad with balsamic dressing is jam packed with flavor. Made from simple ingredients, you’re going to fall in love with this combo. Please know that radicchio is naturally bitter, so this recipe is for people who like a little bite.
The warm radicchio combined with the crispy bacon, crushed pecans, crumbled blue cheese, and balsamic dressing is such a dreamy combo. Don’t forget to season it with a touch of salt and cracked black pepper. Trust me, if you like a little bite, this recipe is for you. Option to add some sliced pear or honey crisp apple for an extra pop of seasonal flavor.
Ingredients Needed for Warm Radicchio, Bacon and Blue Cheese Salad
Balsamic Dressing – Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl. Whisk it together until it’s well combined.
Radicchio – You’ll need one head of radicchio for this recipe. Remove the outer leaves and quarter the radicchio. Option to cut it into eighths too if it’s on the larger side.
Bacon – You’ll need 2-3 slices of thick cut bacon for this recipe. Cook the bacon in a pan until it reaches your desired crispiness. Soak up some of the bacon fat, leaving some behind to sear the radicchio in. You’ll need 1-2 tablespoons of bacon fat.
Crushed Pecans – For this recipe, I used crushed pecans, but walnuts or pine nuts would work well too.
Blue Cheese – You need crumbled blue cheese for this recipe. However, you could use feta or shaved parmesan instead. That said, the crumbled blue adds a layer of flavor that’s hard to resist.
Seasoning – Season the salad with a touch of salt and cracked black pepper.
Optional – Option to add sliced honey crisp apple or sliced pear for some extra flavor.
How to Make Warm Radicchio, Bacon and Blue Cheese Salad
In a small mixing bowl, combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt and cracked black pepper. Mix well. Set aside.
Remove the outer leaves and quarter the radicchio. Set it aside. Larger heads of radicchio can be cut into eighths.
Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat and cook the bacon.
Once it reaches desired crispiness, remove the bacon from the pan. Next, carefully soak up some of the bacon fat with a paper towel. Leaving behind some fat (about 1-2 tablespoons) to sear the radicchio.
Sear the radicchio in the bacon fat for 1-2 minutes per side. You just want it to be lightly browned and warmed.
Place the warm radicchio on a serving platter, top it with crushed bacon, crushed pecans, and crumbled blue cheese.
Drizzle everything with the balsamic dressing. Season with a tiny pinch of salt and cracked black pepper.
Serve warm. Best enjoyed immediately.
Storage
Store any extra dressing separately in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Leftover salad should be stored in an airtight container for up to two days. However, this recipe is best enjoyed immediately.
Warm Radicchio, Bacon and Blue Cheese Salad
Ingredients
Warm Radicchio Salad
- 1 head radicchio, remove outer leaves and quarter
- 2-3 slices bacon, cooked and crushed into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons pecans , crushed small
- 2 tablespoons blue cheese , crumbled
- cracked black pepper, to taste
- salt, to taste
Balsamic Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- cracked black pepper, to taste
Equipment
- 1 cast iron skillet
- 1 small mixing bowl
- 1 serving platter
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt and cracked black pepper. Mix well. Set aside.
- Remove the outer leaves and quarter the radicchio. Set it aside. Larger heads of radicchio can be cut into eighths.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat and cook the bacon.
- Once it reaches your desired crispiness, remove the bacon from the pan and carefully soak up some of the bacon fat with a paper towel. Leaving behind some fat to sear the radicchio.
- Sear the radicchio in the bacon fat for 1-2 minutes per side. You just want it to be lightly browned and warmed.
- Place the warm radicchio on a serving platter, top it with crushed bacon, crushed pecans, and crumbled blue cheese.
- Drizzle everything with the balsamic dressing. Season with a tiny pinch of salt and cracked black pepper.
- Serve warm. Best enjoyed immediately.
One Comment on “Warm Radicchio, Bacon and Blue Cheese Salad”
This salad is great. I made it for dinner and ended up not eating anything else. I will definitely make it again.