Radicchio and Fennel Salad with Creamy Miso Maple Dressing
While I could very likely eat this salad all year long, my true affection for it blossoms in the colder months, when winter has pulled its gray sheet across the sky, lopping off too many hours to the day. Chicory and citrus are truly winter's bright joys, and I lean hard into them during these moody months, which may be the only explanation as to why I don't get the seasonal blues. That dependable radicchio holds up well to vinaigrette and is the perfect foil for all the other crunchy, savory, creamy things to keep it interesting, 'cause listen, nobody wants a boring salad. If you can find pink radicchio (I get it from Campo Rosso Farm at the Union Square Greenmarket in NYC, so try your local farm stand or gourmet grocery store) or other varieties of chicory such as endive, for sure use them. Add sliced chicken breast atop for a one-dish lunch.
This recipe is from my cookbook, Family Style: Elegant Everyday Recipes Inspired by Home and Heritage.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
Creamy Miso Maple Dressing
¼ cup yellow miso
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2½ tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Everything else
2 large heads radicchio
1 large fennel bulb
1 blood orange, supremed
⅕ cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
1 sheet nori
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
To make the dressing, combine the miso, rice wine vinegar, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons hot water in a medium jar. Cover tightly and shake until the miso is dissolved. Add the olive oil, maple syrup, tahini, anchovy paste, and sesame oil and shake again. Season with pepper. (The dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.)
Core the radicchio and remove any wilted outer leaves, then separate the leaves and tear into large, bite-size pieces.
Trim, halve, and core the fennel (reserve the fennel fronds for garnish), then very thinly slice the fennel using a mandoline or very sharp knife.
(The fennel can be prepared a few hours ahead of time and held in a bowl of ice water, then patted dry when ready to use.)
Combine the radicchio and fennel on a shallow platter, drizzle with the dressing, and toss. Add the blood orange, squeezing in any remaining juice from the core, and the walnuts and gently toss. Crush the nori into fine pieces and sprinkle atop the salad. Garnish with the reserved fennel fronds, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
Have you made it?
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