Grilled Salad with Citrus
Grilling the radicchio intensifies its flavor and is a great counterpoint to the sweet oranges and the slight warmth and cinnamon spice taste of the dressing. Topped with Candied Pecans, it is a perfect balance of bitter, sweet, and savory.
Radicchio when eaten raw can be bitter and intense and is therefore often overlooked when making salads, but I decided to BE BRAVE and grill it with some Blood Orange oil which mellowed it out to a nice nutty, slightly pungent flavor that paired wonderfully with the sweet oranges.
The cinnamon flavors in the dressing truly make this a unique salad that is perfect for everyday or for company. Make it into an entrée by adding some salmon that has broiled with blood orange oil and voila, you have a wonderfully easy, healthy and delicious dinner!
Enjoy this and other salads every night—and live the Mediterranean Lifestyle!
Grilled Radicchio & Orange Salad
Ingredients
(* indicates my preferred ingredients – see notes for alternatives)
2 medium navel oranges (divided)
2 blood oranges or Cara Cara oranges (or substitute with additional navel oranges)
2 tablespoons O&V Unflavored EVOO *
3 tablespoon O&V Blood Orange Oil (divided) *
½ tablespoon O&V Apple Cider vinegar *
1 tablespoon Runamok Cinnamon Vanilla Maple syrup *
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 small clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier (optional)
½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper
¼ cup toasted or candied pecans (optional)
2 heads of radicchio, quartered
3 tablespoon sliced fennel (reserve some green fronds for garnish)
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
Preparation
Zest, and then cut one navel orange in half and juice it into a bowl (you will need about 2 tablespoons of juice). Put aside the zest for garnishing. Peel and supreme or slice into circles the remaining naval orange and the blood oranges/Cara Cara oranges and place on a plate (See Chef Tip)
Cut the radicchio into quarters, keeping the core intact. Toss well with one tablespoon of Blood Orange oil and place on a preheated grill or grill pan on medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side until nicely charred with grill marks. Remove from grill and cut off the core on each wedge to separate the leaves, or roughly chop.
Make the dressing by whisking together the 2 tablespoons of orange juice with the maple syrup, vinegar, cinnamon, garlic, Grand Marnier, salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the remaining one tablespoon of Blood Orange oil and 2 tablespoons of Unflavored EVOO whisking continuously until thick and emulsified.
Create a base of romaine, top with the shredded radicchio, fennel slices, and orange slices or supremes. Drizzle generously with the dressing just before serving and garnish with fennel fronds, orange zest, and toasted pecans (if using)
Serves 2-4
Active time 20 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes
Chef Tip
How to supreme or slice an orange: First, watch this video to learn how to easily peel an orange. Once peeled (no skin or white pith), you’ll be able to see the membranes between the orange segments. Using a paring knife simply slice along the inside of the membranes and then lift the orange wedge out and place in a bowl – Voila – orange supremes. You can also just simply peel the orange and then slice cross wise to get circular slices of oranges for the salad
Notes
* The Blood orange oil adds another wonderfully citrusy flavor while the vinegar Apple Cider vinegar lends nice tang against the sweetness of the oranges.
The Runamok Cinnamon Vanilla maple syrup reinforces the warm spice flavor of the dressing but you can also use an unflavored, high quality maple syrup in its place. The high antioxidant Unflavored Oil ensures that the dressing has good antioxidant properties.
All highlighted products are available at Oil & Vinegar stores.
Categories: Soups & Salads, Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, Dairy Free, Easy Entertaining, Apple Cider Vinegar, Blood Orange Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Cinnamon Vanilla Maple Syrup, Runamok, Unflavored Oil, Grilled Radicchio, Cara Cara Oranges, Naval Orange, Fennel, Cinnamon Dressing, Grand Marnier
