Citrus Pear Radicchio Salad

A salad meant for the spotlight!! This Pear and Radicchio Salad adds a beautiful pop of color and flavor your fall and winter dinner table needs. It’s far from bland and boring. This salad is tangy, festive and looks so fancy (without the hard work)!

Layered with crisp arugula, spicy radicchio leaves, churchy chopped fennel, orange and pear slices, and tipped with crumbles of creamy goat cheese and crunchy walnuts. The red win vinaigrette cut through the bitter bite of radicchio to meld all the flavors together. Its refreshing, bold and a delicious blend of seasoning ingredients. 

Whether you’re hosting a dinner party or just want to elevate your weekday salad game, this ones’ a show stopper for any occasion.

How to Make this Citrus Pear Radicchio Salad

Step 1. Create your mise en place.

If you want to make this recipe easier than it already is, prep each ingredient before you actually start mixing together your salad. That way you can dump them all in the bowl and toss together.

Create a mise en place, or a ‘setup’ of your dish. Chop lettuce, veggies, fruits and measure out ingredients for vinaigrette. 

Step 2. Make your vinaigrette.

This red wine vinaigrette is light, tangy and slightly sweet and balance so well with the bitterness of the radicchio leaves. In a bowl, whisk together red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, olive oil, honey and salt and pepper until it. 

Step 3. Build your Citrus Pear Radicchio Salad.

First start by adding your arugula and radicchio to a large salad bowl. This will be your salad base. Next, drizzle vinaigrette over salad and toss into the dish with salad tongs to evenly coat. 

Lastly, add all your toppings – chopped fennel, pear, orange slices, goat cheese crumbles and walnuts. 

Tip: As your salad sits in the dressing, it will get soggy. If you do not plan to eat the salad immediately after tossing with dressing, wait to add until you’re ready to serve.

What does radicchio taste like? 

Radicchio has bitter, slightly spicy taste which can scare some people from using it. But it can actually make for a deliciously refreshing salad! You just have to have the right pairing of toppings to complement the bold flavor. 

Radicchio pairs well with sweet, salty and acidic flavors. Which is why we added sweetness with pear and oranges, acidity with the vinaigrette. And goat cheese adds a salty, creamy flavor to the salad dish.

Tip for making salad dressing…

You want to make sure your vinaigrettes are emulsified – meaning they are smooth and evenly blended together. For best flavor, there shouldn’t be a separation of oil from the rest of the ingredients. You can do this a couple of ways:

1. Pour the ingredients into a jar, seal the lid and give it a good shake.
2. Add the ingredients to a bowl and whisk with a hand frother until smooth.

How to store salad and dressing…

If you’re making the salad ahead of time, store lettuce, toppings and dressing separately until you’re ready to serve. 

Store vinaigrette in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5-7 days.