It is no secret how much I love fennel. It definitely makes the top 5 of my favorite vegetables and I especially love it roasted, which brings out its sweetness. That sweetness perfectly pairs with the natural bitterness of radicchio. When using radicchio, I like to find ways to add as much natural sweetness as I can and pears are usually easy to come by when radicchio is in season. Top it all off with a little bit of shaved pecorino romano and you have a gorgeous and flavorful wintertime salad.
Radicchio and Pear Salad with Roasted Fennel
This salad makes for a wonderful first course or addition to a wintertime meal. The bitterness of the radicchio balances nicely with the sweetness of roasted fennel, pears and a simple maple balsamic dressing.
4
servings20
minutes15
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
1 fennel bulb (tops and core removed; thinly sliced)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp fine sea salt and a couple cracks of black pepper
1 small head radicchio (about 8-10 oz)
1 pear (such as bartlett or anjou), core removed and thinly sliced (ripe, but firm)
1/4 cup shaved pecorino romano, loosely packed
1/4 cup pecans (lightly toasted)
- For the dressing
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp stone ground dijon mustard
small pinch of fine sea salt and a couple cracks of black pepper
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350F and place a rack in the center of your oven. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, toss the sliced fennel with 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and season with a couple cracks of black pepper and ¼ tsp fine sea salt. Roast for 15 minutes or until the fennel begins to brown.
- In the meantime, cut the radicchio into quarters, remove the core, and then roughly chop and rinse the leaves and add them to a serving bowl. As soon as the fennel comes out of the oven, immediately toss it on top of the radicchio to allow it to lightly soften the leaves.
- Toast the pecans* in a small pan set to medium low, stirring frequently, until they become fragrant – about 5 minutes.
- To make the dressing,** add all ingredients into a small jar (1/2 pint). Seal the jar tightly and shake to combine.
- Finish assembling the salad by adding the thinly sliced pears, pecorino romano and pecans on top of the radicchio and fennel. Drizzle with some of the dressing and serve.
Notes
- *Toasting the pecans is optional, but it does add wonderful flavor.
- **You will have plenty of extra dressing. Store any leftover in the fridge for up to a week. Remove from the fridge 20-30 minutes before serving to allow the hardened olive oil to soften and stir or shake well before serving.
