Italian Tricolore Salad

Healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive, difficult, or boring, and this Italian Tricolore Salad is the perfect example.

It consists of 4 simple ingredients and a zesty dressing that create something truly magical.

The inspiration for this salad came from a cooking show that I saw on TV. It quickly reminded me of my favorite Italian chopped salad, without the bevy of ingredients that it includes.

The recipe had me at radicchio and Belgian endive, two members of the chicory family that I adore for their bitter flavor and crisp textures, but its simplicity really drew me in.

This salad has a minimalist quality, with bold colors and flavors that really draw a person in.

I find myself craving this salad often, and I’ll definitely be making it time and time again. 🙂

See my collection of chicory recipes for more delicious ways to use chicories!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• This tri colore salad is a simple yet elegant salad that’s packed with bold flavors and colors.
• It includes just a few ingredients and it comes together in about 10 minutes.
• It’s a blank canvas, and can be changed up by adding your favorite veggies, beans, olives and more.
• It’s gluten-free and low carb, and may be made dairy-free and vegan by omitting the parmesan cheese.

Recipe ingredients

• Arugula. The peppery flavor of arugula pairs perfectly with the bitterness of the chicories and umami in the shaved parmesan.
• Radicchio. This ingredient is bitter with a crunchy texture that pairs perfectly with the other ingredients. It’s a staple in my kitchen as I make radicchio salad and add it to other salads daily. I typically prep an entire head as outlined in the tutorial below, and store it in an air tight container to use throughout the week.
• Belgian endive. Endive has a mild bitter flavor and addictive crispness. I love adding it to salads or using it to make my endive salad bites.
• Shaved parmesan. This adds a savory umami flavor that really brings all of the ingredients together. It may be subbed with your favorite cheese or omitted altogether to make this recipe dairy-free and vegan.
• Dressing. I’ve used my simple red wine vinaigrette for this tri colore salad recipe, but my homemade Italian dressing or your favorite store bought brand will work as well.

How to make tri color salad

This tri color salad recipe has just a bit of prep, most of which can be done ahead of time.

Pro tip:  Prep the radicchio, endive and dressing up to a few days in advance to make assembly a breeze!

See the recipe card below for full instructions.

Prep the radicchio

Radicchio isn’t as commonplace as many salad ingredients, so I’ve included a simple tutorial which outlines how to cut it.

This recipe includes half a head of radicchio, so the instructions represent that.

1. Hold the halved radicchio at an angle on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to remove the core starting at the top middle, then cut at an angle along each side of the core like a triangle.
2. Cut the halved radicchio in half.
3. Place cut side down on a cutting board and cut into ribbons.

Prep the Belgian endive

Endive is another ingredient that isn’t always widely used, so see the tutorial below which outlines how to cut it as well.

1. Cut the Belgian endive in half on a cutting board. Hold each half upright at an angle and remove the core by starting at the top middle, then cut at an angle along each side of the core like a triangle.
2. Place cut side down and chop.

Assemble the salad

Once everything is prepped, assembly is a breeze!

1. Prepare the dressing up to a few days in advance. Place the arugula, radicchio and endive in a bowl.
2. Add the parmesan and red wine vinaigrette, and toss gently with enough dressing to coat.

Recipe FAQs

Serving suggestions

This tri color salad is easy to prepare and extremely versatile, making it a great option for almost any occasion.

• Serve it on busy weeknights along with air fryer chicken breast or air fryer pork chops.
• It’s a great date night salad served with pan seared steak or baked salmon.
• It’s the perfect accompaniment to a pasta dinner such as skillet lasagna and stuffed shells.
• Make it a main dish or lunch by adding salami, chickpeas, olives and veggies, and serve with focaccia bread.
• Serve alongside minestrone soup or escarole and bean soup for a light dinner.
• It’s perfect for Sunday dinner along with spatchcock chicken or beef bourguignon.
• This salad is a great addition to your game day spread along with air fryer chicken wings and stuffed jalapeños and slow cooker turkey chili.

Recipe notes

• Pro tip:  Prep the radicchio, endive and dressing up to a few days in advance to make assembly a breeze!
• Nutrition information does not include the dressing as it is included in a separate post.
• This tricolore salad is simple yet delicious as-is, but it may be changed up with your favorite vegetables, olives, artichoke hearts, salami and so much more!

More salad recipes you’ll love:

• Broccoli kale salad
• Butter lettuce salad
• Citrus salad
• Horiatiki salad
• Kale and brussels sprout salad
• Kale apple salad
• Kale slaw
• Massaged kale salad
• Napa cabbage salad
• Roasted beet salad
• Salade Lyonnaise
• Shaved brussels sprout salad
• Spring arugula salad