Radicchio and Endive Salad with Hazelnuts and Pears
This salad is all about the balance of flavors and textures: pleasantly bitter notes from the endive and radicchio, sweet undertones from the pears, nuttiness and crunch from the hazelnuts, and acidic notes from the vinaigrette. Toss in some hemp seeds if you like for complementary texture and a boost of protein. Fresh and light, the salad makes a great side for Thanksgiving, offsetting the richer dishes on the menu. And there’s lots of room for creativity—swap in apples or persimmons for the pears and try almonds instead of hazelnuts. You can even replace one of the greens with Little Gem lettuce. When making the vinaigrette, be sure to let the shallot stand in the vinegar for 15 minutes before whisking in the olive oil and honey; this helps tame the bite of the shallot.
Ingredients:
- 3 Tbs. red wine vinegar
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp. wildflower honey
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz./75 g) whole hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and roughly chopped
- 4 heads Belgian endive, trimmed and leaves separated
- 1 head radicchio, halved, cored and leaves separated, halved again lengthwise if large
- 2 firm Bosc or Bartlett pears, halved, cored and very thinly sliced with a mandoline or sharp knife
- 2 Tbs. hemp seeds (optional)
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and shallot and let stand for 15 minutes. Whisk in the olive oil and honey and season to taste with salt. Stir in the hazelnuts.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss together the endive, radicchio and pears.
Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad. Using your hands or salad servers, toss to coat evenly, then toss in the hemp seeds, if using. Season to taste with salt and toss again. Garnish with a few grindings of pepper and serve immediately. Serves 6.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen
Recommended Products:
-
$58.95
-
$112.95
(5)
-
$159.95
(30)
-
$24.95
(9)
-
$6.95
-
$64.95
-
$49.95
-
$65.95
-
$49.95
