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This radicchio, orange and hazelnut salad bowl is a bitter-sweet lunch that takes 30 minutes, with white beans and goat cheese to make it filling. Sliced radicchio, orange segments and toasted hazelnuts do most of the work.
I used to walk past radicchio at the store. Too bitter, I figured. Then I started soaking the sliced leaves in ice water for 10 minutes. The edge softened and the crunch stayed.
The oranges bring the sweetness. The hazelnuts bring the crunch. The beans make it a meal instead of a side.
One thing to watch: hazelnuts go from golden to bitter in under a minute. Pull them the second they smell toasty.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in 30 minutes with one skillet and one jar
- White beans and goat cheese make it filling enough for lunch
- An ice-water soak tames the bitterness and keeps the crunch
- Prep the parts ahead, then toss at lunchtime
Ingredient Notes
- radicchio: Look for a tight, heavy head with no brown edges. Treviso works too and is slightly milder.
- navel oranges: They’re seedless and easy to segment. Blood oranges work well in winter and turn the bowl pink.
- hazelnuts: Raw blanched or skin-on both work. Swap in almonds or pistachios if that’s what you have.
- goat cheese: Soft, tangy and easy to crumble. Feta or ricotta salata are fine substitutes.
- cannellini beans: Rinse them well to remove the canned liquid. Chickpeas work if you prefer a firmer bite.
- fennel: Shave it thin so it softens in the dressing. Thinly sliced celery is a mild stand-in if you dislike anise.
Radicchio Orange Salad Bowl with Toasted Hazelnuts
Ingredients
Method
- Toast the hazelnuts in a dry 24 cm / 10-inch skillet over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, shaking the pan often, until they smell toasty and the edges turn golden. Tip them onto a plate right away, because they keep darkening in the hot pan and burnt hazelnuts taste bitter. Cool for 5 minutes, rub off the loose skins in a clean towel, then chop roughly.
- Slice the top and bottom off 2 oranges, then cut away the peel and white pith, following the curve of the fruit. Cut between the membranes over a bowl to release the segments, then squeeze the membranes over the same bowl. Juice the third orange and measure 60 ml / 1/4 cup. In the jar, shake that juice with the olive oil, vinegar, Dijon, honey, salt and pepper.
- Quarter the radicchio, cut out the core, and slice the leaves into 1 cm ribbons. Submerge them in a large bowl of ice water. Shave the fennel as thin as you can and slice the onion. Toss both with half the dressing in the 3-quart / 2.8 L salad bowl, then leave everything to sit for 10 minutes.
- Drain the radicchio and dry it in a salad spinner or between clean towels. Add it to the fennel bowl along with the beans, orange segments and remaining dressing. Toss gently, then divide among 4 bowls. Top with the goat cheese, hazelnuts and fennel fronds, and serve within 20 minutes.
Notes
- Soak sliced radicchio in ice water for 10 minutes, then dry it well.
- Pull the hazelnuts from the skillet at the first toasty smell.
- Toss and serve within 20 minutes of dressing for the best crunch.
- Add the goat cheese and hazelnuts only after the bowls are plated.
Tips for Success
- Soak the sliced radicchio in ice water for the full 10 minutes, then dry it well so the dressing clings instead of pooling.
- Cut away all the white pith when segmenting the oranges, since leftover pith adds a bitterness the radicchio doesn’t need.
- Shave the fennel as thin as you can, about 2 mm, so it softens in the dressing during the 10-minute rest.
- Toss the salad gently with your hands or two spoons so the orange segments stay whole and don’t turn the bowl watery.
- Add the goat cheese and hazelnuts last, right at the table, so the nuts stay crunchy and the cheese doesn’t smear.
Variations
- Swap the goat cheese for shaved parmesan and the beans for 150 g cooked farro to make the bowl heartier and nuttier.
- Use blood oranges in winter for deeper color, or add pink grapefruit segments if you want a sharper, more bitter bowl.
- Replace the hazelnuts with toasted walnuts or pistachios, and add a handful of arugula to soften the radicchio’s bite further.
Storage and Reheating
Radicchio orange and hazelnut salad bowl is best eaten fresh, within 20 minutes of tossing, because the dressing softens the leaves and the hazelnuts lose their snap. It’s served cold, so there’s nothing to reheat. Leftover dressed salad keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 24 hours, though the leaves go soft and juice collects at the bottom.
For meal prep, store the parts separately. Toasted hazelnuts keep 5 days in an airtight jar at room temperature. The dressing keeps 5 days in the fridge, so shake it before using. Dried radicchio ribbons keep 2 days in a container lined with a paper towel, and orange segments keep 2 days in their juice.
Skip the freezer. Radicchio, oranges and fennel all turn limp once thawed.
Serving Suggestions
A radicchio orange and hazelnut salad bowl works as a light lunch on its own, or as a side next to pan-seared chicken paillard or seared salmon. Crusty bread on the table helps mop up the dressing.
For a bigger meal, add a soft-boiled egg or about 120 g of shredded cooked chicken to each bowl. A glass of dry white wine or sparkling water with lemon sits well alongside.
If kids are eating, plate the parts separately. Oranges, beans and cheese usually go first, and the radicchio often follows once it’s sitting next to something sweet.
FAQ
Why is my radicchio orange salad still too bitter?
Most of radicchio’s bitterness sits in the core and thick white ribs, so cut out the core and any heavy ribs and slice the leaves thin. Soak the ribbons in ice water for 10 minutes, then dry them well. If it still bites, add another teaspoon of honey or a squeeze of orange juice to the dressing.
Can I use almonds instead of hazelnuts in a radicchio orange salad?
Yes. Whole or slivered almonds toast in the same 4 to 5 minutes in a dry skillet, and pistachios work too. Walnuts are fine but a little tannic, which adds to the bitterness, so keep the full teaspoon of honey in the dressing. Hazelnuts are sweeter and rounder, which is why I reach for them first.
Can I make the radicchio and orange salad bowl the night before?
Yes, but prep the parts and toss at the end. Toasted hazelnuts keep 5 days airtight at room temperature, the dressing keeps 5 days in the fridge, and dried radicchio ribbons keep 2 days in a towel-lined container. Orange segments keep 2 days in their juice. Toss everything within 20 minutes of eating.
What protein goes well with a radicchio and orange salad?
Grilled chicken thighs, seared salmon, or roast pork all work, because their richness balances the bitter radicchio and sweet orange. Plan on about 120 g cooked protein per person. For a vegetarian meal, add a soft-boiled egg per bowl. Skip heavily sauced proteins, which fight the citrus dressing.
Is the radicchio orange hazelnut salad gluten free, and can I make it vegan?
Yes to gluten free, no to vegan as written. Check the labels on the Dijon and canned beans to be sure. The goat cheese and honey are the animal products, so swap the honey for maple syrup and leave out the cheese, adding an extra 2 tbsp chopped hazelnuts for richness.
What is the difference between Chioggia and Treviso radicchio, and which works here?
Chioggia is the round, tight head sold in most US stores, while Treviso is long and tapered with a slightly milder, more tender bite. Both work here. Chioggia is my default since it’s easy to find. Slice either into 1 cm ribbons and give them the same 10-minute ice-water soak.
