RADICCHIO SALAD

RADICCHIO SALAD

I went to this restaurant in liberty village. They claim to serve authentic southern Italian specialities but really what it was, is the chef going to the grocery store close by and buying prepackaged foods and assembling them – but charging for authentic good quality foods.

My friend and I ordered the gnocchi which was suppose to be homemade but was pulled out of a packet and dumped into water. The cheese and meat antipasto was a plate of prosciutto and a mozzarella ball – not burrata which is what any decent Italian restaurant would serve but instead we got the cheese that is $7.99 at the grocery store sitting in a bag of water. Then there was the radicchio which was good but he had cheaped out on the ingredients.

This meal that was represented as authentic southern Italian cuisine ended up being an assembly of the cheapest ingredients he could find, yet the bill came to $60. Needless to say I will never go there again. But looking at the menu, the items were good –  in theory but overpriced. The best thing I had that night was the radicchio salad even though it was missing ingredients listed on the menu. But I thought to myself, I could make this at home and make it better…and so I did.

RADICCHIO SALAD

Course Salad
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 head radicchio lettuce cut finely
  • 1 small red onion cut in half moons and finely
  • 4 tbsp grated parmesan plus more for finishing
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • pinch of salt

Instructions
 

  • Quarter and cut the radicchio finely into thin ribbons. Cut the onion in half and thinly slice into half moons. Add to bowl and mix well, making sure onions are separated and mixed throughout the lettuce.
  • Drizzle oil and vinegar. Add salt and parmesan. Mix well with 2 forks.
  • Finish with a dusting of parmesan.

Notes

This salad is made to order, it doesn’t keep well.
So I prep a head of radicchio and keep in the fridge for up to a week. It makes about 4 cups. Then when I want a salad I take it out and make about a cup at a time.