Serves a Crowd

Toro Bravo's Radicchio Salad with Manchego Vinaigrette

by:
December 17, 2013
4.6
14 Ratings
Toro Bravo's Radicchio Salad with Manchego Vinaigrette
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 30 minutes
  • Serves 4 to 8
Author Notes

Austere as this salad may seem, it's got 2 secret tricks that will make you better at making salads, during the holidays and forever after. 1. You infuse the vinegar with chopped red onion for an hour, then quietly remove it. The vinegar is left with a richer, more complex flavor, without the oppressive oniony kickback. 2. You toss the dressed leaves with a dusting of finely grated Manchego to help the coating stick. Adapted slightly from Toro Bravo: Stories. Recipes. No Bull. (McSweeney's Insatiables, 2013). —Genius Recipes

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup good-quality balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup good-quality sherry vinegar
  • 3 heads radicchio
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups Manchego, finely grated and divided
  • 1 pinch salt, plus more to taste
Directions
  1. In a large bowl, add the balsamic vinegar, sherry vinegar, and chopped red onion. Break the onion up into pieces so that all of that oniony flavor gets into the vinegar. (Note: If you want to quick pickle and eat the onions themselves, Food52er hardlikearmour suggests adding the honey now too.) Let it sit for 1 hour and then strain out the onions.
  2. Remove the cores from the radicchio and discard. Chop into 1-inch pieces. Take 1 gallon of water in a large bowl and add enough ice to make the water icy cold. Once cold, strain out the ice and add the radicchio to the water. Let it sit for 15 minutes to remove some of its bitterness, strain and then spin in a salad spinner until dry. Fluff the dried radicchio. (Note: If you don't strain the ice out before adding the radicchio you'll be pulling out ice pieces for half an hour so that you don't have wet radicchio.)
  3. Add the honey and olive oil to the strained vinegars and whisk.
  4. Using your hands, toss the radicchio with the dressing until evenly coated. Add 1 cup of finely grated Manchego, salt, and toss again.
  5. To serve, top the salad in a serving bowl with the remaining 1/2 cup grated Manchego or distribute salad and Manchego among 4 to 8 bowls or plates.
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Genius Recipes

Recipe by: Genius Recipes

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49 Reviews

Magyar L.
Magyar L. December 27, 2023
Great salad!! I added the honey to the vinegar and onions to make pickles and my family loved them! The method of pre soaking the radicchio really did cut the bitterness. New favorite radicchio recipe!
 
robin L.
robin L. December 28, 2023
It's my favorite one too. And it's one of only a few salads that is still really good the day after (even with the vinaigrette).
 
Babette's S.
Babette's S. February 15, 2023
WOW, this is a fabulous recipe....salty, sweet, tart & bitter all at once! Like a complex cocktail in a salad. This is a keeper!
 
Sunny A.
Sunny A. December 26, 2020
delicious
 
Sabine G.
Sabine G. January 5, 2020
This is such a simple, but wildly delicious salad! Loved everything about this. Will be making this until I die. I also added pomegranate seeds- and loved the combo! Could see toasted pine nuts being fab in this, too!
 
Jmolaei
Jmolaei November 25, 2017
Added pomegranate seeds, which both tasted and looked great!
 
linzarella
linzarella November 24, 2017
This is absolutely the PERFECT Thanksgiving salad. I was a bit skeptical, because it sounded so plain, and my family isn't into anything weird/bitter (yes, radicchio qualifies for them as "weird"), but everyone loved it. The little tricks and attention to detail in this recipe really pay off, making it so much more than the sum of its parts.

Only change I made was including the pickled onions in the salad, based on other commenter's recommendations. I feel like it also might be good with homemade croutons, but then again, it's so perfect in its simplicity that I'd be hesitant to mess around too much with it.
 
Martha H.
Martha H. September 1, 2017
A friend made this last night for a dinner party. SO GOOD!!!!!! Even if you're like, uh, a whole salad of radicchio, no. You'd be so wrong. So good!
 
Aus
Aus April 22, 2017
This instantly became my all time favorite salad after eating it at Toro Bravo in Portland. I was beyond delighted when I found the recipe for I thought online as I don't have the cook book yet. Thank you for allowing me to recreate it at home!
 
ss2910
ss2910 January 14, 2017
This was delicious and beautiful and elegant!! I will be making this over and over again. At first I was put off by the steps involved in preparing the radicchio (soaking in ice water) and steeping onions for an hour - but it was well worth it, and for what you get at the end, seems like a small price to pay for an exquisite salad.
 
Martina B.
Martina B. November 23, 2016
I absolutely adore this salad. Sophisticated yet straightforward. I add pink lady apples (julienned or grated) which adds a hit of tart and sweet. At times I also add the red onions to the salad versus discarding them.
 
robin L.
robin L. November 23, 2016
i agree. this is my favorite food52 recipe.
 
robin L.
robin L. September 20, 2016
This is still one of the first things I ever think to/jump to want to offer for a dinner or pot luck. It's such a delicious salad. It's one of my top (if not THE top) food52 recipes I keep coming back to.
 
JSCooks
JSCooks January 17, 2016
This salad turns a roasted chicken and some roasted potatoes into a simple and perfect meal. Beautiful, delicious, and intriguing. I always get a recipe request, and I'm always happy to share it. Thanks!
 
Hallie
Hallie April 20, 2015
This is a handy recipe for a dinner party. Not to many ingredients to buy, slightly unexpected, and a bright color for the table!
 
Paula V.
Paula V. January 5, 2015
Awesome dressing!!!!! However I used arugula instead of radicchio and added blanched asparagus and slivered almonds. Sooooo good
 
MtIdaho
MtIdaho December 15, 2014
Thank you for your suggestions, Robin and MenCanCook. I have to drive 80 miles in the hopes of finding endive or arugula (Never watercress or radicchio… they are 200 miles away), so am always searching for adequate recipe substitutions. Will definitely try the vinaigrette with what's available around here.
 
MtIdaho
MtIdaho December 15, 2014
I live in the wilds of Idaho where radicchio has never been heard of. Do you think red cabbage could be substituted?
 
robin L.
robin L. December 15, 2014
Actually, I've made this lovely vinaigrette for completely different salads than this one. And I just googled substitutes for radicchio and found these suggestions:
"belgian endive or curly endive or arugula OR watercress"...I'd probably make the vinaigrette and sample it with these...I'm guessing that either of the endives would be the ones that would solo well enough in place of the radicchio...
 
MenCanCook
MenCanCook December 15, 2014
Radicchio is a leaf chicory , sometimes known as Italian chicory. It has a bitter and spicy taste, which mellows when it is grilled or roasted. Red cabbage, on the other hand, is indeed a cabbage, and it's color is dependent primarily on the pH of the soil it was grown in. In my opinion, if you would like a milder taste, you might prefer the red cabbage... Hope that is helpful. Enjoy
 
MenCanCook
MenCanCook December 10, 2014
Curious... Why do you specify 'good-quality' vinegars in your recipe? Are there really people who use 'bad-quality' vinegars out there? Snicker
 
Luba
Luba September 14, 2014
Another radicchio-hater converted! Now I won't dread getting it in our CSA box-- thank you!!
 
TriBeCa
TriBeCa March 14, 2014
Perfect just the way you wrote! My 15 year old son said it was the best thing he has ever eaten!!! And at a party for 100 women, it was gone in 2 minutes. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe. p.s. I left the onions in!
 
Jill F.
Jill F. January 24, 2014
Robin Lewis- the pickled onions are great for fish tacos (or any tacos, actually) and also in potato salad or egg salad. I put them on top of some steamed green beans. They'd be great in a salsa, or as you say, they are wonderful just on their own! They keep a long time in the refrigerator so you can be creative with them over a period of several weeks.
 
robin L.
robin L. February 9, 2014
Thank you so much for them suggestions! I am psyched, as I am soaking a new batch of dressing/purple onions as we speak!
 
robin L.
robin L. February 9, 2014
Sorry about that, re:"... them suggestions..." I am clumsily testing. Thanks for THE suggestions 8-)
 
robin L.
robin L. February 9, 2014
texting, not testing. 8-(
 
robin L.
robin L. January 19, 2014
I love this salad!! But I need a few ideas for the pickled onions. They are so good just on their own, but I haven't figured what else they might good good with. I thought mb roast beef or pork sandwiches but we don't eat either all that much. I know that someone out there is using these lovely purple pickled onions somehow...?
 
AnneF
AnneF January 15, 2014
We had this for Christmas dinner and it was as special as you say. A great recipe.
 
EmilyC
EmilyC January 3, 2014
I've made this twice in the last week and just love it. The second time I had to substitute Parmigiano Reggiano. It's an acceptable substitute but the salad is much better with the nutty, sharp Manchego (of course).
 
JohnL
JohnL January 2, 2014
Piacere, I tried a scaled down version (just for me) otherwise followed the recipe. Didn't love it the first time, but it was a little better the second time because I added more dressing, which helped by adding more sweetness and tangy savor. I notice the recipe yields an abundance of dressing---should the salad be really wet with that much dressing so it gets real adhesive with the Manchego? I will try it one more time because I know how some of the most wonderful recipes don't turn out on the first or second attempt. If people are loving it, I must be doing something wrong. It does look gorgeous and its unusual, and that's what tempted me to try it!
 
piacere
piacere January 2, 2014
Happy New Year, JohnL! I don't think you should feel bad a about not liking this salad. Nothing you're doing wrong. Palates are just different. Different things appeal to different palates. (I SO dislike caviar as example. :-) ) With so many foods and recipes and so little time, I'm comfortable saying something doesn't work for me. (BTW, I naturally decrease oil and dressinig as part of SOP and did here.) As a salad tip for one that might be a great for you to try, have you tried teh Not-so-virtuous salad that someone posted here on Food 52 last year? It is delicious with a sweet / tart dressing. It calls for mixed greens and I typically use radicchio in that mix (maybe 1/3 to 2/3 lettuce greens) and it has been a winner each time, even for folks who aren't so much fans of radicchio and chicories as primary salad elements.
 
Mary R.
Mary R. January 1, 2014
I brought this to a NYE dinner, and it was terrific. This is pretty easy to throw together (I hope you leave yourself more time than I did to grate all that manchego--I was rushing) and travels well. I halved the olive oil. Would definitely make again.
 
Atlanticgull
Atlanticgull December 30, 2013
Loved, loved, loved this!!! Beautiful and unexpected addition to Christmas dinner. The little I had leftover held up great at lunch the day after.

I did prep everything hours ahead and tossed it at the last minute. Next time I might mix the dressing and radicchio several hours ahead and add the cheese at the last min.
 
Patti
Patti December 29, 2013
This recipe sounds amazing. I thinking about it for a party where I'll have a lot of last-minute tasks Has anyone tried to make this ahead? Maybe leave the final 1/2 cup of cheese to apply right before serving?
 
bythesea
bythesea December 28, 2013
I also loved this for Christmas dinner. Appreciated the directions to coat the leaves with the dressing before adding the cheese. Forgot the ice water bath and will try next time. I found myself out of balsamic vinegar and had to substitute red wine vinegar, my guests didn't notice! Would try using less oil next time
 
ramblingsandroasts
ramblingsandroasts December 27, 2013
This was a delicious addition to our Christmas dinner...so festive. It even kept pretty well (fully dressed) until the next day. Manchego was a tad pricey, so I opted for finely grated Pecorino-Romano. Ice water to remove bitterness and the dressing tricks were genius. Thank you!
 
suzygregory
suzygregory December 24, 2013
Help! I'm making this to go with Christmas dinner tomorrow, can NOT find sherry vinegar anywhere! Anyone out there have a good sub and idea? I have all the other ingredients. Thanks!
 
piacere
piacere December 24, 2013
Hi suzigregory, You could try champagne vinegar, if you have that, or white wine vinegar or rice vinegar. Sherry vinegar has a sort of 'nutty' quality that you'll be missing, but any of those should work. Even a good apple cider vinegar should work. The character of the dressing will be a bit different but any of those should work with the balsamic for the dressing.
 
suzygregory
suzygregory December 24, 2013
Thanks piacere :) I picked up some champagne vinegar as my backup. Will make this tomorrow, hope it is as good as it sounds!
 
carswell
carswell December 20, 2013
This looks tasty. Manchego is hard to come by in my neck of the woods - I'm thinking Pecorino would do.
 
Burf
Burf December 18, 2013
My first instinct was "i won't like this, i find raw radicchio too bitter" but I'm so glad i made this. Fantastic!!
 
hilary O.
hilary O. December 18, 2013
I am going to make this to go with our Christmas dinner. Seems simple and fine.
 
piacere
piacere December 18, 2013
Made this. Loved this. It is a keeper!
 
Euro K.
Euro K. December 18, 2013
I meant omit the manchego!
 
Euro K.
Euro K. December 18, 2013
This looks delicious! Sadly, I am allergic to dairy and thus cannot have cheese. :(. Would it taste ok to omit the man hero, or is there something else, non dairy, that I could substitute?
 
JohnL
JohnL December 18, 2013
You might consider a non dairy vegan type cheese to use in place of the Manchego. I've not had any experience with these vegan cheeses, but there is quite a variety to choose from. Someone here might know of something similar to Manchego, or perhaps the cheese monger at Whole Foods or your local store could guide you. It is an interesting-sounding salad made entirely of this bitter leaf (Radicchio). I usually include radicchio in small proportion, only for an accent flavor/color.
 
Kristen M.
Kristen M. December 18, 2013
Euro Kat, you could try using something else that would help the dressing cling, like finely minced nuts or herbs or toasted breadcrumbs. But either way, it's definitely worth trying the onion-infused vinegar trick.
 
piacere
piacere December 20, 2013
JohnL, as you describe for yourself I have typically used radicchio in small amounts in salads not as the single veggie star as in this recipe. I just spent a month of vacation eating my way through Portland, OR (including Toro Bravo) and found radicchio salads similar to this one on several menus. I tried them all and became a fan of radichhio as salad star. Of all the many radicchio salads I tried in restaurants there, this recipe made at home was the best of all. I'll be interested to see how you like it if you post after making it.