If you think winter salads are boring, you haven’t tried this Radicchio Salad with Avocado, Fennel and Orange! It’s bursting with sweet and savory flavor, plenty of crunch, and it’s tossed in a tangy citrus vinaigrette!

Radicchio salad on white plates with dressing in a jar

I know most people love eating salads in spring and summer because of the abundance of produce that those seasons have to offer, but winter salads are some of my favorite.

My broccoli kale salad and citrus salad are two of my favorites, but this Radicchio Salad has really been on repeat lately.

I’ve always loved radicchio, but this winter it’s especially been a staple in my fridge.  I began using it when I was developing the recipe for my Italian Chopped Salad, and I’ve been incorporating it into my salads regularly ever since.

This salad combines radicchio with crunchy fennel, sweet oranges and creamy avocado for one of the best winter salad recipes ever.

Radicchio salad on a white plate with a fork

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • This recipe is crisp, colorful and bursting with sweet and savory flavor.
  • It pairs well with just about anything you’re serving!
  • Most of the ingredients may be prepped in advance and tossed together just before serving.
  • It’s vegan, gluten free and dairy free.

Recipe ingredients

This salad takes just a few ingredients, and may be customized a number of ways.

Radicchio salad ingredients

Ingredient notes

  • Radicchio. Radicchio is a member of the chicory family and is widely used in Italian cuisine.  It’s soft yet crisp, with a bitter flavor that’s perfectly paired with creamy avocado, fresh orange and tangy citrus vinaigrette. See my collection of chicory recipes for more information.
  • Fennel. Fennel bulb is crisp and crunchy with a mild anise flavor. It adds great texture to this salad and pairs perfectly with the other ingredients. Be sure to use those pretty green fennel fronds in your salad for fresh herbaceous flavor! For more information, see my Fennel produce guide.
  • Orange. The orange is what really makes this salad shine as its sweet flavor pairs perfectly with the bitter radicchio. I used a combination of navel and blood oranges, but you can use your favorite varieties.

How to make this recipe

This salad comes together very quickly with minimal prep, and I’ve included handy instructions to segment the oranges.

Pro tip:  Prep the oranges, fennel, radicchio and dressing in advance to make this recipe come together even quicker during the week.  

How to segment an orange

removing the peel from the top, bottom and sides of orange
Knife segmenting an orange slice
Segmented oranges and orange juice in a bowl
  1. Place the orange on a cutting board and cut off the top and bottom.
  2. Stand the orange up on the cutting board and remove the peel from the sides by cutting it from top to bottom, all the way around the orange, removing the white pith.
  3. Cut along one side of the orange segment.
  4. Cut along the other side of the orange segment at a slight angle to remove.
  5. Set the orange slices aside for the salad.
  6. Squeeze the remaining orange after segmenting and reserve the juice for the citrus vinaigrette (you’ll have about 2 tablespoons).

Assemble the salad

  1. Place the radicchio, fennel, fennel fronds, orange and avocado in a large bowl.  
  2. Place the dressing ingredients in a small mason jar, seal tightly with a lid and shake vigorously until emulsified, then toss the salad with the desired amount of dressing (you may not need it all).

FAQs

What is radicchio?

Radicchio is a leafy, purple Italian chicory that’s often mistaken for cabbage or lettuce. Like everything in the chicory family, it has a bitter flavor.

Can you eat radicchio raw?

Radicchio may be eaten raw, and adds bold flavor to salads.

How do you get the bitterness out of radicchio?

If radicchio is too bitter for you, pair it with sweet, acidic and fatty ingredients such as orange, vinegar and avocado to balance out the bitterness. When cooked, the bitter flavor of radicchio mellows considerably as well.

How do you cut radicchio?

Halve the head of radicchio, remove the core and cut into thin shreds, slice into wedges, or simply tear the leaves.

Recipe notes

  • Pro tip:  Prep the oranges, fennel, radicchio and dressing in advance to make this recipe come together even quicker during the week.  
  • Use your favorite type of citrus in this salad! Navel oranges, mandarins, tangerines and blood oranges are all wonderful options.  
  • Salad is best enjoyed the day it’s made due to the avocado.
Radiccho salad on a plate with avocado and orange

More winter salad recipes you’ll love:

Did you try this recipe?  If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram

Radicchio salad on a white plate with a fork

Radicchio Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

Servings: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Additional Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Radicchio Salad with Avocado, Fennel and Orange is a winter salad bursting with sweet and savory flavor and tossed in a tangy citrus vinaigrette!
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Ingredients

  • 1 small head radicchio cored, and leaves torn
  • 1 small fennel bulb halved and sliced (reserve 1/4 cup green fennel fronds
  • 1 large navel orange segmented
  • 1 large blood orange segmented
  • 1 large avocado diced

For the dressing:

  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper or to taste

Instructions 

  • Place the orange on a cutting board and cut off the top and bottom.
  • Stand the orange up on the cutting board and remove the peel from the sides by cutting it from top to bottom, all the way around the orange, removing the white pith.
    removing the peel from the top, bottom and sides of orange
  • Cut along one side of the orange segment.
  • Cut along the other side of the orange segment at a slight angle to remove.
    Segmented oranges and orange juice in a bowl
  • Set the orange slices aside for the salad.
  • Squeeze the remaining orange after segmenting and reserve the juice for the citrus vinaigrette dressing (you’ll have about 2 tablespoons).
    Knife segmenting an orange slice
  • Place the radicchio, fennel, fennel fronds, orange segments and avocado in a large bowl.
  • Place the olive oil, vinegar, orange juice, lemon juice, maple syrup, dijon and salt and pepper to taste in a small mason jar. Seal the lid tightly and shake vigorously until emulsified.
  • Pour the desired amount of dressing onto the salad and toss gently to coat. You may not need all of the dressing. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes

  • Pro tip:  Prep the oranges, fennel, radicchio and dressing in advance to make this recipe come together even quicker during the week.  
  • Use your favorite type of citrus in this salad! Navel oranges, mandarins, tangerines and blood oranges are all wonderful options.  
  • Salad is best enjoyed the day it’s made due to the avocado.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 235kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 145mg, Potassium: 520mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 247IU, Vitamin C: 43mg, Calcium: 56mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Course: Salads
Cuisine: American
Author: Marcie
All recipes and images © Flavor the Moments.
Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

**This post was originally published in February 2018. The photos have been updated and the text has been modified to include more recipe information.

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