Radicchio Makes a Delicious Thanksgiving Salad
I am an outspoken supporter of serving salad for Thanksgiving dinner . Even though I’m all here for the casseroles, a pile of raw leaves can clear the palate and strengthen, allowing you to continue to happily shove potatoes and gravy in your face. Any salad can fulfill this role, but radicchio salad is best in it.
There are three main reasons why radicchio is included in your Turkey Day spread: aesthetics, taste and lightness. In a sea of beige that is (sometimes) interspersed with accents of green, a bright purple bowl is a welcome sight. Radicchio’s taste is also a much-needed deviation from the norm. Bitter taste is not associated with Thanksgiving, but trust me, serving the side that breaks down all the mind-filled, greasy sentences is a clutch move. Bitterness knocks down your taste buds, allowing you to eat more, which is the goal. Radicchio is also very easy to prepare. Just rip it up with your hands or have a (clean) child do it.
Even though it’s a salad, it’s still a Thanksgiving salad, and small toasted pieces of brown butter bread crumbs paired with a maple apple cider vinaigrette keep it from feeling completely disconnected. Both the crumbs and the dressing can be prepared the night before and then stored in the refrigerator. (Take them out about an hour before serving so they can warm to room temperature.) It’s simple, but effective, and more importantly delicious. To make this vibrant roughage mound you will need:
For brown butter crumbs:
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup bread crumbs (purchased or homemade)
For the bandage:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- Shaker for 2 tablespoons
- 2 cloves of finely chopped garlic
- 2 small sage leaves, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the salad:
- 1 small radicchio head
Melt butter in a skillet over medium to high heat until frothy, then reduce heat to low. Let the butter simmer, stirring occasionally, if one side of the pan browns faster than the other, until the butter is dark golden brown. Add crumbs, stir to coat, and heat to medium-high. Once the crumbs begin to fizzle slightly, cook for another minute, then remove from the pan and transfer to a bowl (or any other container). The crumb can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week. To prepare the dressing, mix the remaining ingredients in a sealed jar and shake until an emulsion forms. The dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week.
If you’ve prepared the dressing and crumbs ahead of time, remove them about an hour before dinner and shake the dressing well to distribute everything evenly. Wash and dry the radicchio and tear the leaves into small pieces. Drizzle with the dressing, sprinkle with crumbs and serve with each addition to the side.